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Look: NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani performs Eid Al Adha prayer in Arsenal-themed kurta
Earlier this month, Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, making history and bringing long-awaited joy to fans in the UK and around the world
- PUBLISHED: Thu 28 May 2026, 7:56 AM UPDATED: Thu 28 May 2026, 9:14 AM
If you ask a football enthusiast about highlights of the game in 2026, the answer would probably be: the World Cup and Arsenal winning the Premier League. In New York City, mayor Zohran Mamdani turned out to be a huge Arsenal fan, as the first Muslim to lead the American city attended Eid Al Adha prayers on May 27 wearing an Arsenal-themed kurta.
Earlier this month, Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, making history and bringing long-awaited joy to fans in the UK and around the world.
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Mamdani was seen greeting worshippers and posing for photos after the prayers, with many Arsenal supporters online celebrating the unexpected crossover between loving football and politics.
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Wearing a long-sleeved Arsenal blue away jersey styled as a kurta, Mamdani—who is of South Asian descent—performed the annual prayer in the Bronx Borough, joining hundreds of local residents observing the holiday.
Following the prayer, he posted a message on his Instagram to extend his well wishes to all those celebrating in the Big Apple by saying, "Eid Mubarak! Today as we honour Prophet Ibrahim, Eid Al Adha reminds us that sacrifice is not a burden. It is an opportunity to see ourselves as part of something larger. To extend a hand to those who need it most.
"I am honoured to be New York City's first Muslim Mayor, and I am determined to lead through solidarity. Together, we are working to ensure every New Yorker can afford the gtoceries, housing and child care they need. Our solidarity is our strength. Eid Saeed, New York."
Mamdani's followers, numbering over two million people, praised the outfit with some asking him where did he get an Arsenal-themed thobe from in New York. "Mayor, this is one of the most wild Eid fits I've ever seen," a user commented, while another one, probably a Chelsea fan, said: "Arsenal fans always doing too much".
Despite the mixed reactions, the mayor’s appearance unmistakably brought together his faith, cultural roots, political identity and love of football, as the United States prepares to co-host the World Cup next month alongside Canada and Mexico.
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.