Fútbol first came to the Americas in the 19th century, when British sailors brought the game to Latin American port cities like Buenos Aires. What began as an elite pastime quickly spread into everyday life. Soccer’s simplicity made it easy to play anywhere, allowing working-class and immigrant communities to adapt it and make it their own. By the 20th century, Latin American fútbol became a powerful symbol of identity. Today the game remains an enduring passion. Streets empty during major matches, families gather to watch, and entire nations celebrate or mourn together.
Things are different in the U.S., where European immigrants introduced the sport, forming local clubs tied to ethnic communities that remained largely outside the American sports mainstream. But here, too, fútbol thrived in Latino neighborhoods through informal play, local leagues, and strong ties to home country teams. As Latino populations grew in cities like Los Angeles, Houston, and New York, so did soccer’s popularity. But the sport only began to go mainstream in the U.S. in 1967, with the creation of the North American Soccer League, or NASL, which aimed to build a “major league” version of fútbol defined by growth in teams, visibility, and spectators.
Enter the Los Angeles Aztecs. In 1974, hoping to tap into the Latino market, real estate millionaire and medical doctor Jack Gregory launched the team, intentionally named to invoke Mexico’s pre-Columbian heritage and connect with Southern California’s large Mexican fan base. The team rode the wave of a working NASL strategy all the way to the top.
NASL broadcasts on major television networks performed well. Pelé’s debut for the New York Cosmos, in June 1975, drew over 21,000 spectators in person and an estimated 10 million viewers on TV, one of the largest soccer audiences in U.S. history. During the NASL’s so-called “Golden Era,” from roughly 1975 to 1980, league-wide average attendance exceeded 13,000 spectators per match. The league expanded to 24 teams, and it showcased major Latin American and global icons, including Hugo Sánchez, Carlos Alberto, and Teófilo “El Nene” Cubillas. It intensified outreach to Spanish‑speaking fans, a key potential audience, executives believed.
The Aztecs assembled what their original coach, Alex Perolli, described as a “polyglot team,” with players from Argentina, Brazil, Trinidad, Uruguay, Mexico, and the U.S.; the team actively recruited Mexican and Mexican American talent, including UCLA star José López, Santa Ana native Sergio Velázquez, and local standout Miguel López. The club’s first match, on Cinco de Mayo at East Los Angeles College Stadium, began with a “Día de los Niños” celebration, with free jerseys distributed to the first 2,000 attendees. Before kickoff, spectators watched performances by Mariachi de Panchito Peña, Ballet Folklórico, and even an acrobatic motorcycle troupe.