Zohran Kwame Mamdani was elected as the new mayor of New York City on November 4, marking a ground-breaking win for a number of underrepresented groups. It was a home run for Democratic Socialists, whose platform Mamdani has championed since starting his career for public office. It was also a win for minorities, with Mamdani becoming the city's first Muslim and Indian-Ugandan mayor.
More than anything, though, it was a sweeping victory for soccer fanatics. After all, before Mamdani even had a job in New York municipal politics, he was a staunch addict of the beautiful game.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian parents, Mamdani was seven when he moved to New York City, where he became a diehard Arsenal supporter and watched his team become the first to win an undefeated Premier League title in 2004. In order to make friends in his new environment, Mamdani latched onto soccer, whether it was playing in concrete jungles or grass pitches with his new neighbors or playing FIFA.
Deadline Day Disciple
Just how long has Mamdani been a soccer savant? At least 23 years. As one of the many local kids who were interviewed in December 2002 by New York Magazine, Mamdani responded that his two main wishes for Christmas were FIFA 2003 and SimCity 3000.
He recently admitted that he "spent many days of his youth" watching SkySports News' Deadline Day.
In 2012 Mamdani posted on X, then Twitter, that he had bought a share in Real Oviedo. At the time, third-tier Oviedo needed �1.6m to avoid a winding-up order before deciding to sell shares for �9.50 each, with Mamdani being one of 20,000+ people who chipped in to help them survive: fast-forward 13 years, and Oviedo are back in the top-flight for the first time in a quarter-century.
It would not be his last soccer-related tweet. A quick scroll through Mamdani's page shows a number of posts espousing his proud Arsenal fandom, be that GIFs of Arsene Wenger and video clips of Arsenal Fan TV, or witty one-liners like "Never thought Id be more hopeful about socialism than Arsenal and yet here we are."
Mamdani entered New York City politics as a campaign manager before deciding to run for New York State Assembly in 2020. He defeated five-term incumbent Aravella Simotas in the Democratic primary and was reelected without opposition in 2022 and 2024.
And after representing Astoria, Queens, he decided to take his chance at representing the entire city, announcing his candidacy for New York City mayor in October 2024.
One year later, Mamdani hosted the 'Cost of Living Classic', a five-a-side soccer tournament that united players from all five boroughs in Maimonides Park in Coney Island on October 19. Similarly to the previous World Cups, this tournament featured 32 teams as well as a group stage and knockout round tournament.
In order to run the perfect tournament, he teamed up with NYC Footy to draw attention to the need for affordable soccer services.
"Running a soccer league in New York has never been harder," explain NYC Footy. "Field permits are scarce and recent decisions have made them even more so. Among many other things, lights have been removed, budgets cut, and fees raised by 120%.
"For 15 years, NYC Footy has worked to improve how this city supports recreational soccer lobbying for better access, more lights, and stronger partnerships with Parks. In fact, we recently helped secure over $2M in lighting improvements for Midtown Fields, though theres now a real chance theyll never be installed."
Mamdani has been able to campaign on a platform of making life more affordable for New Yorkers, be that fare-free city buses, universal public child care, city-owned grocery stores, a $30 hourly minimum wage by 2030, a rent freeze on rent-stabilized units, and more affordable housing.
This, combined with a shrewd social media presence, has elevated him from an unknown commodity to a breakthrough sensation.
After defeating ex-New York governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary in a major upset, Mamdani coasted to victory over Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, bringing home 50.4% of the vote and becoming the first mayoral candidate since 1969 to win over 1 million votes, as well as the youngest mayor since 1894.
It should be a memorable 2026 for Mamdani, who will begin his four-year mayoral term on January 1. Not only will he be presiding over the second-biggest city in North America, but he'll also have the chance to go to his first-ever FIFA World Cup, with MetLife Stadium in nearby East Rutherford, NJ set to host eight matches, including the final.
So far, Mamdani has been committed to ensuring that every New Yorker has a chance to afford a chance to go to the biggest tournament in sports. In September, Mamdani launched a "Game Over Greed" petition that demanded FIFA halt its dynamic pricing system, put a cap on resale prices, and reserve 15% of tickets for local supporters.
Caught todays @Arsenal match with Spike Lee in Fort Greene (not a sentence I ever thought I'd get to write). pic.twitter.com/TxVoK35t6DSeptember 21, 2025
Tell FIFA to put Game Over Greed - YouTube
It seems unlikely that Mamdani will have any impact whatsoever on making next summer's World Cup more affordable.
Tickets for the final are reportedly going from $2,000 to $6,000, whilst many fans will have to swallow parking fees that could range as high as $175 for group stage matches.
With United States President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino locked in step, it seems that fans across North America will simply have to accept these exorbitant prices.
Mamdani has already faced off against one of the most seasoned veterans in New York politics and come out victorious... but can he take on FIFA and make the World Cup available to middle-class supporters?
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