Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to an admiring world as Pelé, exploded on the New York soccer scene in 1975 when he joined the New York Cosmos team.  This seismic event in American sports history was a defining factor in the success of soccer in the USA today.  In those years I had the privilege of working at Warner Communications, the company that brought him to the USA, and worked with many of the people involved in his meteoric rise.  Today, as a licensed New York City tour guide, I will show you the iconic landmarks in Pelé’s life including the Plaza Hotel, Rockefeller Center, Park Avenue Plaza, and the now defunct Studio 54. I will also explain who the people were who partied with him, negotiated for him, and played professionally with him here in the Big Apple.  So join me as we remember Pelé’s New York and how he changed American sports–and had a lot of fun along the way!

What's included

• Walking Tour of Midtown Manhattan with an emphasis on places Pelé, stayed, worked and played

• The Plaza Hotel

• Rockefeller Center

• The 21 Club

• Park Avenue Plaza

• Studio 54 (now defunct)

Itinerary

I will meet you at Grand Army Plaza at 59th Street and 5th Avenue near Central Park and across the street from The Plaza Hotel. We will then proceed down 5th Avenue where we will see other New York landmarks such as Trump Tower, Cartier and St. Patrick's Cathedral. We'll visit Park Avenue Plaza where Henry Kissinger worked and helped negotiate for Pelé to come to America. Then we'll visit 75 Rockefeller Plaza where the New York Cosmos had their offices and where I worked with Pelé. I'll tell you about some of the people who were his frequent companions and visitors.