Fluminense FC have made New York New Jersey their home from home in the USA during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™. When the Brazilian giants take on Chelsea FC for their third game at MetLife Stadium in Tuesday’s semi-final, their fans are sure to be out in big numbers once again.
The ties between Fluminense and New York run extremely deep. Carlos Alberto Torres, the captain of Brazil’s FIFA World Cup™-winning side of 1970, began his legendary career with Fluminense and ended it in the Big Apple playing alongside Pele and Franz Beckenbauer at the New York Cosmos.
In the North American Soccer League (NASL), Carlos Alberto won the Soccer Bowl three times to bring the curtain down on his playing days in some style. He later coached Fluminense, for whom he played twice, for a brief spell.
“It was a great time. The five years I spent at the New York Cosmos were the best of my personal life,” he told the club’s website in 2014. “We could go to the theatre, see shows and see everything in New York. It was the best time to be in New York, witnessing the birth of disco and the football boom. It was a great, great time.”
Ahead of Fluminense’s clash with Chelsea, FIFA spoke to Carlos Alberto’s former Cosmos team-mate Shep Messing about the Brazil icon’s spell in the Big Apple.
Shep Messing: He was the difference-maker. When he came, I believe it was July 1977, we had Pele, Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer but we still weren’t clicking. It was Pele who said: “This is my last year, we have to win. I want Carlos Alberto!” They had played many seasons together for Santos and the Brazil national team and it was Pele who convinced the owners (to bring him in). We had loads of talent but we needed one guy who could pull it all together and it was Carlos with his personality, play, skill and poise that turned it around.
He arrived on the night there was a blackout in New York City. In the first practice, Beckenbauer had been playing previous to Carlos coming as a central defender… and Carlos was put into the midfield. Halfway through the practice, he went over to Franz and said: “Franz, you have to do me a favour — you have to move up to midfield, your legs are better than mine!” And, Franz being the great guy that he was said: “For you Carlos, I play midfield.” In our first game, with Carlos in central defence and Franz in midfield we caught fire.
In one of our first home games at Giants Stadium, our opponents had a corner kick. I went up and collected the ball. There were about 10 players from my team and the opposition in the six-yard box and Carlos was two yards away from me. So I took the ball and cleared it about 70 yards away from me. Carlos walks back to me, points to his feet and said: “Sheppy, next time give me the ball.” So the next time on a corner kick, I have the ball and I put it down on his foot. He didn’t miss a beat — he cut to the right, cut to the left, players tried to take it away from him but he danced out of the penalty area and played a long ball up to Pele for a goal. He was totally composed.
Also the players loved him, with his smile and the way he dressed. He taught all the players how to wear our jackets without putting our arms in the sleeves, like the Europeans did. He was a leader and had great magnetism. To show you his sense of humour, we were playing in Los Angeles about 1pm and it must have been 105 degrees (Fahrenheit). The game kicks off and LA is flying and we’re getting hammered. It was just relentless pressure and Carlos turns to me and says: “Sheppy how much time left?” I replied: “Carlos, there’s 88 minutes left!” He knew it but he was just playing with me.
He was a very sophisticated, cultural guy and he was the leader of the pack to go to Studio 54 after the games. He also asked me how to get theatre tickets and go to the best restaurants, he thoroughly enjoyed New York City and everything it had to offer. We’d always end up in Studio 54 and he would sit there elegantly with a glass of wine and a cigarette, enjoying the scenery. That was Carlos Alberto, just the coolest cat in the world. We were friends and he showed me and my wife around Rio. He was the epitome of someone who enjoyed every moment of his life.
When we first met, we’d sit, drink and tell stories and everyone has a start and Fluminense was his start. He never forgot that. He said: “I always remember where I came from and who gave me my chance.” He played way more games for Santos but you never forget your first team. He was always grateful that it was Fluminense. He would say: “That is my love because they gave me my chance.”
The tournament has captivated New York City. I’ve had five requests by big corporations to host viewing parties for the final. Having both semi-finals and the final here was a great idea. A lot of the football world has come to New York this week for these games. New York is lit up with promotions and ads. It’s gotten the traction we hoped it would and it has lit up New York.
