Museum reception celebrates the club’s unmatched FIFA World Cup legacy while inspiring a new generation through education and community engagement
As the world’s attention turns to the FIFA World Cup Final in the New York and New Jersey region this weekend, the New York Cosmos officially kicked off the celebration Thursday evening by bringing together club legends, current players, elected officials and members of the community for a special reception at the Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchliffe Stadium.
The reception celebrated “Cosmos and the Cup: Local Legends – Global Glory,” an exhibition showcasing the club’s extraordinary connection to the FIFA World Cup through the players who represented both the Cosmos and their countries on soccer’s biggest stage.
Hosted just days before the World Cup Final, the evening united generations of the club under one roof as current Cosmos players toured the exhibition alongside club legends Hubert Birkenmeier, Vladislav “Bogi” Bogićević, Ferdinando De Matthaeis, and Andranik “Eski” Eskandarian, celebrating a legacy that continues to shape the future of soccer in the New York and New Jersey region.
Twenty-four Cosmos players representing 16 nations have competed in FIFA World Cup, making the club one of the most internationally represented in American soccer history. Throughout the evening, speakers reflected on how that global legacy continues to inspire today’s team while serving as an educational resource for the Paterson community and future generations of soccer fans.
“This exhibition celebrates our history while looking ahead to an even brighter future,” said Dr. David Kilpatrick, Club Historian and Curator for the New York Cosmos. “The Cosmos made me feel connected to something much larger than my own neighborhood. They introduced me to different cultures, countries and people. That’s the spirit we wanted to capture with this exhibition.”
Located inside the Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchliffe Stadium, the exhibition also highlights Paterson’s own rich soccer heritage and reinforces the museum’s mission to serve as a place where history, culture and community come together.
“What we’re building here is something that is both family-oriented and educational,” said Baye Adofo-Wilson, Owner and Managing Partner of the New York Cosmos. “You have to tell your own story. That’s why this museum is so important. It should continue to be a place where stories are told.”
For Cosmos CEO Erik Stover, Thursday’s reception represented more than the opening of an exhibition, it celebrated one of the most remarkable international legacies in American soccer.
“Twenty-four Cosmos players representing 16 nations have appeared in the FIFA World Cup,” Stover said. “That’s an extraordinary accomplishment and a reminder of how special this club truly is.”
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said the exhibition demonstrates the city’s growing place in the global soccer conversation.
“Today, we can tell the world that soccer has arrived—or resurfaced—in the City of Paterson,” Sayegh said. “Paterson is Soccer City. More importantly, Paterson is Cosmos Country.”
The exhibition also features original paintings by Rome-based artist Lorenzo Mortet, a sixth-generation artist from one of Italy’s oldest artistic families whose work was inspired by a personal connection to Pelé. Commissioned by the New York Cosmos specifically for the exhibition, Mortet’s paintings offer a contemporary artistic interpretation of the club’s legendary history and its enduring connection to the world’s game.
“I would like to thank the New York Cosmos for giving me the opportunity to create these paintings for such a historic team and for a player as important as Pelé, whom I had the honor to know and who deeply inspired me,” said Mortet. “The Cosmos and the artworks created for them are only the beginning of an artistic dream that I hope will always be filled with colors, passion and emotions—just like the unforgettable goals of Pelé and the magic of the Cosmos.”
As the New York and New Jersey region prepares to host the FIFA World Cup Final, the exhibition serves as a reminder that one of the sport’s richest international legacies has long been rooted in the region. Through historic artifacts, original artwork, photographs and interactive storytelling, “Cosmos and the Cup: Local Legends – Global Glory” honors the players who helped define the club’s history while inspiring the next generation to discover the world’s game.
About the New York Cosmos
Founded in 1971, the New York Cosmos are one of the most iconic and influential clubs in American soccer history. The club helped elevate the sport in the United States through an unmatched legacy of success on and off the field, becoming a global symbol of the game while inspiring generations of players and supporters.
Today, the Cosmos continue that tradition as a professional club competing in USL League One. Based in Paterson, New Jersey, and playing home matches at historic Hinchliffe Stadium, the club is committed to excellence on the field, meaningful community engagement and growing the game throughout the New York and New Jersey region while honoring one of the richest legacies in American soccer.
About “Cosmos and the Cup: Local Legends – Global Glory”
“Cosmos and the Cup: Local Legends – Global Glory” is a special exhibition at the Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchliffe Stadium celebrating the New York Cosmos’ historic connection to the FIFA World Cup.
Featuring historic artifacts, original artwork, photographs and memorabilia, the exhibition explores the stories of the 24 Cosmos players from 16 nations who competed in FIFA World Cup Finals while highlighting Paterson’s rich soccer heritage. Designed as an educational experience for students, families and visitors, the exhibition examines themes of history, geography, immigration, culture and global citizenship through the lens of soccer.
The exhibition is free and open to the public through July 31, 2026, Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Planning, design and implementation for “Cosmos and the Cup: Local Legends – Global Glory” were provided by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, Inc., New York, New York. The exhibition also features original commissioned artwork by Italian artist Lorenzo Mortet, created exclusively for the New York Cosmos.
About Lorenzo Mortet
Lorenzo Mortet is a sixth-generation artist from one of Italy’s oldest artistic families and a young talent of the Confalonieri De Chirico Art School in Rome.
His artistic journey was deeply influenced by a personal connection with football legend Pelé through his father, Dante Mortet, creator of the unique bronze sculptures of Pelé’s feet. A personal message from the Brazilian icon inspired Lorenzo to create a painting exhibited in Miami in 2024, blending football, memory, and artistic vision.
This year, in a remarkable turn of events, the New York Cosmos — the historic club forever linked to Pelé’s legacy in the United States — invited Lorenzo Mortet to create a new series of paintings dedicated to that legendary world.
A story where art, legacy, and destiny come together, transforming inspiration into a powerful contemporary vision.
