ITN charts soccer’s US boom in star-studded NASL documentary
TNT Sports feature explores how Pelé, George Best and Johan Cruyff helped ignite America’s first football revolution
TNT Sports has commissioned a new feature documentary tracing the origins of professional soccer in the United States, as the sport enjoys a fresh surge in popularity.
When Soccer Came to America: Goals, Glamour and the Beautiful Game, produced by ITN Productions, is a one-hour film exploring how the now-defunct North American Soccer League (NASL) transformed the sporting landscape during the 1970s and 80s.
The documentary arrives at a moment when the US game is back in the spotlight, with Lionel Messi and David Beckham among the high-profile names associated with Major League Soccer, and the country preparing to co-host the World Cup.
But the film looks back to an earlier era — one defined by spectacle, celebrity and ambition — when American audiences were first drawn to the global game.
Central to the story is the rise of the North American Soccer League, whose rapid growth was fuelled by the arrival of global icons including Pelé, George Best and Johan Cruyff.
Pelé’s move to the New York Cosmos — widely seen as a turning point — is revisited alongside the cultural impact of Best and Cruyff’s spells in North America, as the league briefly captured mainstream attention.
Through archive footage and new interviews, the documentary explores how the NASL blended elite sport with entertainment, creating a uniquely American take on football that helped lay the groundwork for the modern game in the US.
Contributors include Pelé’s daughter Kely Nascimento, Calum Best, as well as former players and key figures involved in the league’s rise, offering first-hand insight into its meteoric success — and eventual collapse.
Ian Rumsey, Managing Director of Content at ITN, said the timing of the project aligns with renewed global focus on the sport in the US, adding that newly uncovered archive material would bring the story to life for a new generation.
The film ultimately charts the NASL’s legacy — from packed stadiums and celebrity buzz to the financial and structural challenges that led to its downfall — and how its influence continues to shape the trajectory of soccer in America today.
When Soccer Came to America: Goals, Glamour and the Beautiful Game premieres on 28 March on TNT Sports in the US, before streaming on HBO Max.
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