New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his love for English football and paid tribute to his heritage, by donning an Arsenal-themed jersey-kurta during Eid al-Adha prayers in the Bronx.

Mamdani’s dark blue jersey, with red stripes extended into a South Asian-style kurta was a unique moment of political signalling of cultural hybridity and unity. Some social media users have interpreted the unique garment as a ‘thobe’ worn in North Africa and the Middle East, highlighting a broader cultural outreach.

“Today as we honor Prophet Ibrahim, Eid al-Adha reminds us that sacrifice is not a burden,” Mandani posted on X. “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 groceries, housing, and child care they need.”

An overwhelming number of social media users were tickled to see the outfit. One user said, “I didn’t know that was an option.” “His outfit is killing meeeee, how do I get an eagles themed lehenga for my cousin’s wedding,” one user joked.

Several took a jibe at the mayor’s preferred football team: “I know we all joked that Arsenal fans were gonna be out of control when they finally won the league, but this is ridiculous,” said another X user.

Some reactions were less sporting, or favourable. Right-wing X account End Wokeness posted a photo of Mamdani kneeling in prayer alongside other men wearing kurtas, thobes, kameezes and kufis: “Imagine telling a NYer in 2001 … this is an image of their future mayor.”

The 34-year old is the first Muslim mayor of New York City, and his heritage spans from his Indian ethnicity to his Ugandan upbringing where he was born. The bold sartorial choice, and the hybridity it suggested, if anything, was a key element in Mamdani’s electoral success.

During his campaign, Mamdani regularly posted videos speaking in languages of immigrant diasporas in New York, who made up his electoral base.

The moment encapsulated the political identity that has defined his rise: multicultural, digitally fluent, and rooted in immigrant urban culture. The garment succeeded in doing what political fashion often aims to do: communicate belonging, provoke conversation, and reinforce a carefully cultivated public persona.