New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani caught many people by surprise on Wednesday, May 27, after he joined Eid Al-Adha prayers clad in a Visit Rwanda-branded Arsenal FC thobe. Mamdani, a Ugandan-born die-hard Arsenal fan, was seen greeting Muslims at the Macombs Dam Park in the Bronx, where Eid prayers were held. ALSO READ: Ugandan-born politician elected New York City mayor Videos and photos of New York City's first Muslim mayor clad in the customized Arsenal thobe made rounds on social media, with users, including Rwandans, posting and sharing them widely. New York Mayor Mamdani arrives for Eid al-Adha prayers at Macombs Dam Park in The Bronx wearing Visit Rwanda! pic.twitter.com/Gj94X8SFUb — Robert Cyubahiro McKenna (@RobCyubahiro) May 27, 2026 This comes as Arsenal fans around the world continue to celebrate the club's Premier League title victory. The Visit Rwanda partners beat Manchester City 2-1 on May 19, ending a 22-year title drought. RWANDA New York city Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the first muslim to lead the city wore #VisitRwanda sleeve Arsenal customized thobe to Eid al-Adha celebrations in the Bronx. #FactsOnRwanda pic.twitter.com/EklbaAcZen — Facts On Rwanda (@FactsOnRwanda) May 27, 2026 Mamdani was elected as mayor in November 2025. He doesn't shy away from talking about his love for the English football team. Before he became mayor, Mamdani explained the origin of his Arsenal fandom in an interview with Vulture in 2025. Mayor Zohran Mamdani donned an eye-popping Arsenal FC kurta during a Wednesday event celebrating Eid al-Adha. https://t.co/FDahvkur03 pic.twitter.com/yehJl9iHo3 — New York Post (@nypost) May 27, 2026 I’m a big Arsenal fan, he said. I came up as a fan in the early 2000s, and it was my uncle who introduced me to the team. I was born in Kampala, Uganda, in East Africa, and my dad’s family is from East Africa, and Arsenal was one of the first teams to have a number of African players: Lauren, Kolo Toure, Nwankwo Kanu, Emmanuel Eboue, Alex Song, he said.
