Let’s Go with Heart: Zohran Mamdani Predicts This African Team Will Win the 2026 World Cup
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has offered a bold World Cup prediction, picking Morocco to beat France in the final of this summer’s tournament. The choice came during a bracket game in which Mamdani mixed instinct and analysis, saying some decisions were difficult and that “the heart wants what it wants.” His picks included several surprises, among them Haiti advancing to the round of 32, Brazil losing to Japan at that stage, and the United States reaching the quarter-finals before being eliminated by England.
Mamdani’s World Cup choices reflect a long-standing personal and political connection to soccer. He has publicly embraced the sport in ways uncommon for American politicians, weaving it into both his public appearances and policy priorities. He previously attended Eid al-Adha prayers in the Bronx wearing an Arsenal-branded kurta, campaigned against FIFA’s dynamic pricing policy, and hosted a watch party for the Africa Cup of Nations final at a municipal court. His interest in African football has also been visible for years, including celebrations in Astoria, Queens, after Morocco’s historic quarter-final win over Portugal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Morocco’s run in Qatar made history, as the team became the first African side to reach the World Cup semi-finals. Mamdani, then a New York state assemblyman, joined local supporters in celebrating on Steinway Street, a major gathering place for the city’s North African community. In this year’s bracket, he sees Morocco going even further and becoming the first African nation to win the World Cup.
The mayor’s bracket also highlighted his views on several other teams. He expects the United States to top Group D and defeat Canada and Belgium in the knockout rounds before falling to England in the quarter-finals. He also dismissed Portugal’s title hopes, joking earlier in the year that it would not win the tournament. In his bracket, Portugal is eliminated by England in the round of 32. Mamdani likewise predicted that Ghana would reach the knockout stage as one of the best third-place teams in Group I before losing to Colombia.
Mamdani’s World Cup engagement comes as New York prepares to host matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Last month, he announced a ticket initiative allowing city residents to access $50 tickets for seven of the eight matches at the stadium, with entries distributed through a random draw. The program was unveiled alongside U.S. men’s national team players Tim Weah and Mark McKenzie, both New Yorkers.
Born in Uganda, Mamdani has said his soccer fandom was shaped by attending the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where he watched Ghana’s quarter-final against Uruguay at Soccer City in Johannesburg. He recalled being emotional after Luis Suárez’s famous handball helped decide the match. This year, his bracket suggests another deep run for African football, with Morocco as his sentimental and symbolic pick to win it all.
