Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York Cities mayoral election is a landmark moment for US politics. The 34-year-old politician is the city’s youngest mayor since 1892, the first Muslim mayor, as well as the first to be born in Africa. He has won with the support of ordinary people who often feel left out of politics, his success is reflective of the diversity of the city he will now lead.

Guven his passion for Arsenal and sport in general we take a look at what the new Mayor’s position is on grassroots sports, inclusion and affordability.

Community Sports as a Platform for Inclusion

Mamdani’s passion for inclusive sports is rooted in his own story. As a student in NYC’s public schools, he co-founded the first-ever cricket team at high school, creating a space for south Asian immigrant students to connect through the sport they loved. That team joined the inaugural season of the Public School Athletic League’s cricket programme, an early lesson in how grassroots effort can lead to institutional change. Years later, Mamdani would carry this story into elected office, using community advocacy to call for expanded access to sports for all New Yorkers.

Throughout his time in office, Mamdani has leveraged grassroots sports events to create platforms for solidarity and inclusion.

In December 2023, he co-hosted the first annual Keffiyeh Cup in Astoria Park, an all-day community soccer tournament and fundraiser for Palestinians in Gaza. The event, featuring local teams and ‘halal’ food vendors, was a celebration of community pride. All proceeds went to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), setting out Mamdani’s belief in connecting local recreation with global solidarity.

The following month, Mamdani celebrated the launch of the American Youth Soccer Academy for Bangladeshis (AYSAB), a nonprofit league supporting immigrant youth in Queens. His attendance amplified the visibility of programs that help young Bangladeshis feel at home on and off the pitch. “It was an honour and a joy,” he said, reinforcing how culturally responsive sports can be a gateway to inclusion.

And in October 2025, Mamdani took grassroots soccer citywide with the Cost of Living Classic, a free five-a-side soccer tournament in Coney Island featuring 32 neighbourhood-based teams. Organized with NYC Footy, the event was open to all and emphasized play without economic barriers. It aligned with Mamdani’s broader affordability platform and showed how sport can be used to bridge boroughs, backgrounds, and belief systems.

‘Game Over Greed’

Mamdani’s sports advocacy extended beyond the park in 2025, when he launched a campaign titled “Game Over Greed” to protest the pricing practices for the 2026 Men’s World Cup, which will partially be hosted in the New York area. He made the point that dynamic pricing and inflated resale markups would exclude working-class and immigrant fans, many of whom are lifelong soccer supporters, Mamdani called for FIFA to make at least 15% of tickets available at discounted prices for local residents.

He said, “It hurts because we know that while New York City is proud to be one of the hosts of the World Cup finals next year, so many of our neighbours will not afford to be able to be there. They will not afford to be able to be there because of the ticket price that it will cost in order to be in attendance. They will not afford to be able to be there because FIFA is now deciding to use dynamic pricing for the first time in its history. Are any working-class New Yorkers actually going to be able to watch the matches?”

His petition gained national and international attention, and publications like ESPN and The Guardian highlighted Mamdani’s efforts to ensure that the World Cup remained accessible to everyday fans.

A Level Playing Field

Mamdani has also advocated for easing bureaucratic barriers that prevent grassroots teams from accessing athletic spaces. He’s proposed streamlining the city’s planning system, reducing fees, and opening up underutilized public spaces, such as schoolyards, for use by community leagues. These reforms would empower local groups, especially in immigrant-heavy neighbourhoods, to organize inclusive sports events without red tape.

Though Mamdani has not previously initiated state legislation specific to sports inclusion, his advocacy, and budgetary priorities reflect a commitment to expanding recreational equity.

What characterises Mamdani’s sports work is the way he builds coalitions between public, nonprofit, and grassroots players. Working with UN agencies, neighbourhood nonprofits, and recreational leagues, Mamdani has thus far fostered alliances that expand inclusive sports initiatives.

He has also uplifted grassroots clubs like Newcomers FC, formed by asylum seekers, and NY International FC, which partners with mutual aid groups to support their players.

As the 2026 World Cup approaches and conversations around public space, inclusion, and affordability intensify, Mamdani’s time in office will be a test to see if he can make grassroots sports serve the widest common good.

The message has been clear, but now to delivery Mr. Mayor.