Saturday, July 18, 2026

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Arsenal-themed thobe at Eid prayers sparks reactions

Mr Mamdani is a life-long Arsenal fan, who started supporting the club at age 10.

• May 28, 2026

The mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani celebrated Arsenal’s first Premier League title win in 22 years by wearing a club-themed thobe to Eid al-Adha prayers in the Bronx on Wednesday. 

Images of Mr Mamdani wearing the thobe edition of Arsenal’s away kit quickly sparked reactions online, with many netizens expressing surprise at the 34-year-old politician’s choice of outfit.

Mr Mamdani is a life-long Arsenal fan, who started supporting the club at age 10. 

Many of his old tweets about the Gunners went viral in the aftermath of his election victory last November, with many highlighting his wealth of knowledge in football commentary, including about obscure players from the 90s. 

His fanaticism is not only limited to Arsenal as he was one of the 20,000 people that bought shares in Spanish club Real Oviedo during a campaign to avoid bankruptcy in 2012. 

Mr Mamdani, who is also a Muslim, later posted pictures of himself in the outfit alongside an Eid message calling on people to assist people in need. 

“Today as we honor 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 honored 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 groceries, housing, and child care they need,” the politician stated. 

In her reaction to the outfit, X user @RUEin4D stated, “I love being an arsenal supporter because why are we this insufferable. An Arsenal thobe is devious work.”

Another user, @areyouwitchor2, commented, “Him being the mayor of New York makes the full arsenal gear to Eid prayer that much funnier your job doesn’t matter, your football allegiance is forever.”

“If you’d told me that one day the mayor of New York would be a Muslim and that he’d show up after Eid prayer in an Arsenal thobe, I wouldn’t have believed you,” @AntalasII said. 

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