text: Pele and Franz Beckenbauer were reunited on Friday to light up the Empire State Building in New York Cosmos green ahead of the start of the new season. As has become tradition, the top of the iconic building in New York has turned green for the weekend to celebrate the start of Cosmos' North American Soccer League season, and the occasion was marked by two very special guests. Beckenbauer and Pele are two of the greatest footballers ever to have lived, and the pair played for New York Cosmos together in the late 1970s. As the former noted, they were pioneers at the time, bringing football to a territory that had rarely seen the game before. Franz Beckenbauer (left) and Pele (centre) were reunited in New York on Friday afternoon . The pair played for New York Cosmos in the 1970s, before the club went bankrupt in the following years . Speaking at the ceremony on Friday, Beckenbauer joked to Pele: 'Your English is better than 30 or 40 years ago when we played together. 'I told you once you were one of the reasons I signed for the New York Cosmos in the year of 1977. Pele, he came in 1975, and I think we were pioneers at the time because no-one here in the country played soccer.' Brazilian legend Pele, now 74, also had his say as the pair flicked the switch to turn on the lights. Pele (right) runs with the ball, while team-mate Beckenbauer watches on in the background . Ahead of the new season starting this weekend, the pair turned the Empire State Building green to celebrate . Pele and Beckenbauer joined hands at the top, and spoke of their pride at returning to New York . 'I thank God for this moment, for this help. And Beckenbauer, now my partner, is going to suffer together because the New York Cosmos come back but now we just stay on the bench. Congratulations, good luck to you.' Following success with Pele and Beckenbauer in the 70s, Cosmos went bankrupt and stopped playing in the 1980s, only returning in 2010 with Pele as the club's honorary president. They play in the second division of American soccer, kicking off their season with a match against Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday. Pele was asked whether he'd prefer Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Brazil legend chose Messi . Pele, regularly voted the best player of all time, says Ronaldo is 'more forward, more of a scorer' When lists of the greatest ever footballers are released, both Beckenbauer and Pele are familiar sights in the top 10. Nowadays, Messi v Ronaldo is the popular debate, and the Brazilian legend has had his say on modern football's messiahs. 'It's not that I like one of Messi or Cristiano more, when people ask me, I always say that you cannot compare them,' he told Al Primer Toque. 'Cristiano is a great player, more forward, more of a scorer. Messi is a player who makes goals but also creates chances as a weapon in behind. 'The two would be very important, but if I had to choose one it would be Messi.'
target: New York Cosmos will begin their North American Soccer League season this weekend with a match against Tampa Bay Rowdies .
  Pele and Franz Beckenbauer were in New York on Friday to turn the Empire State Building green ahead of the start of the season .
  The pair played for New York Cosmos together in the 1970s .
  The club went bankrupt in the 1980s and only returned in 2010 .