Zohran Mamdani, New York's first Muslim mayor, is inspired by football and Cesc Fabregas

Zohran Mamdani, New York City's first elected Muslim mayor and the youngest in more than a century, is a self-confessed Arsenal fan and a fan of former Spanish footballer Cesc Fabregas.

Arsenal has been a fundamental part of my life and my identity. It's good preparation for being a social democrat

Zohran Mamdani

Born in Kampala, Uganda, on October 18, 1991, Mamdani, who is a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), moved to New York with his family at the age of seven.

We know that publicly manifesting as a Muslim also means sacrificing the safety we sometimes find in the shadows

Zohran Mamdani

Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji (a 27-year-old Syrian artist), met through the dating app Hinge.

"We know that to publicly stand up as a Muslim also means sacrificing the safety we sometimes find in the shadows," the new mayor of New York City declared at a political rally.

The keys to Zohran Mamdani's campaign to win the New York City mayoralty

The rise of Zohran Mamdani, who has been a member of the New York State Assembly for the 36th district since 2021, was marked by a campaign focused on affordable housing, transportation and welfare policies, which connected with young voters and working-class neighborhoods.

"New York is a city where one in four people live in poverty, a city where 500,000 children go to bed hungry every night. And ultimately, it's a city that risks losing what makes it so special," Mamdani told the BBC.

Donald Trump calls Zohran Mamdani a "communist" and the White House mocks the new mayor

The 34-year-old politician reached the mayoralty of New York despite the public opposition of Donald Trump, president of the United States, who supported Andrew Cuomo.

Trump went so far as to call Zohran Mamdani a "communist" and threatened to cut aid to New York City if the Muslim politician won the election.

The White House mocked Zohran Mamdani by changing the iconic New York Knicks badge to read "Trump is your President".

Where does Zohran Mamdani, the new mayor of New York, get his passion for Arsenal and Cesc Fabregas?

During his youth, Zohran Mamdani was attracted to soccer by his European friends, and became an avid Arsenal fan.

The new mayor of New York City had no qualms about staying up late to watch Premier League matches.

It's a campaign that started with just 1%. If I had to describe it as a recent surprise, I would say it is the Leicester City of campaigns

Zohran Mamdani

Football was always a vital reference point for Zohran Mamdani, who even compared his political resilience to Leicester City's historic feat (a modest team that won the Premier League in 2016).

"Every day more people are joining our campaign. And it's a campaign that started with only 1%. If I had to describe it as a recent surprise, I would say it is the Leicester City of campaigns," he explained.

Some of my earliest memories are of Kanu, Lauren, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Alex Song..

Zohran Mamdani

In an interview with 'The Guardian', the media-savvy new mayor of New York admitted that he has been an Arsenal fan since his childhood in Uganda.

Zohran Mamdani had images of Wenger's 'Invincible' Arsenal from the 2003-04 season on his fridge.

"Some of my earliest memories are of Kanu, Lauren, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Alex Song... Arsenal has been a fundamental part of my life and my identity, and also of my conviction that this is the year and this is the season. It's good preparation to be a social democrat," he said.

During the Cost of Living Classic, a municipal football tournament he organised, Mamdani shared that "my favourite player is probably Thierry Henry".

@nycfootyofficial acknowledged that his perfect captain would be Cesc Fabregas and recognised his devotion to Ronaldo Nazario (formerly of Real Madrid and Barcelona).