New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew attention on Wednesday after attending Eid al-Adha prayers in the Bronx wearing a custom Arsenal-themed kurta, underlining his long-running devotion to the Premier League club. The traditional loose-fitting tunic was designed with imagery inspired by Arsenal’s 2025-26 navy and red lightning bolt away shirt, and photos of the outfit quickly spread online.
Mamdani, who was born and raised in Uganda, is New York’s first Muslim and Asian-American mayor. His support for Arsenal began when he was 10 years old, after his uncle gave him a set of fridge magnets featuring several famous Gunners players, including Sylvain Wiltord, David Seaman, Sol Campbell and Thierry Henry. That early connection has remained strong, and even after becoming mayor of the largest city in the United States, he has continued to celebrate the club’s successes with the enthusiasm of a lifelong supporter.
His football interests extend beyond Arsenal. Mamdani has also built a reputation among followers for his knowledge of lesser-known footballers from the 1990s, and he has revealed that he is a shareholder in Spanish club Real Oviedo. He was among 20,000 people who took part in an international share-buying campaign launched by the club in 2012 when it was facing bankruptcy, showing that his fandom includes both emotional loyalty and active investment in the sport.
As mayor, Mamdani has also taken a public stance on football governance issues. He has criticized FIFA’s use of dynamic pricing for tickets to the 2026 World Cup. He recently announced a lottery that would allow 1,000 New York residents to apply for the chance to buy $50 tickets for the tournament. Demand for the lottery was intense, with the daily cap of 50,000 entrants reached in just three minutes on the first day it opened.
The 2026 World Cup will be staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada from 11 June to 19 July, with New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Giants, scheduled to host the final. The event is expected to draw huge interest, and Mamdani’s comments about affordability have placed him among the more visible political voices on the issue.
Mamdani’s blending of religious observance, political identity and football allegiance was on display during Eid al-Adha, when his Arsenal-inspired outfit highlighted both his personal style and his sporting passion. The viral response to the kurta reflected how his fandom continues to attract attention well beyond New York, especially given his profile as a major city mayor and a public figure with a deep connection to the game.
The timing of the appearance also added to the buzz, coming just before Arsenal’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on Saturday, 30 May at 17:00 BST. Supporters and observers alike were left wondering how Mamdani might celebrate if Arsenal win Europe’s biggest club prize.
