New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani broke the internet by wearing an Arsenal themed- robe and joining worshippers at an Eid al-Adha event in the Bronx on Wednesday, 27 May.
A vocal supporter of the newly crowned champions, Mamdani wore the team’s 2025-26 blue road shirt, extended beyond his knees, with the club’s crest and .
Most people on the internet called Mamdani’s outfit a thobe which is a traditional, ankle-length, loose-fitting robe worn by men in the Arab world and adopted by Muslims globally.
But for Indians, Mamdani’s robe was more like a , which is a traditional, loose-fitting tunic or shirt wore in South Asia and typically falls to the knees or lower. Mamdani’s mother Mira Nair is the acclaimed .
Determined to lead through solidarity: Mamdani
Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor, attended an Eid event in the Bronx and was also seen offering Eid Namaz during the event. Mamdani, 34, the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century, was joined at the event by fellow Democratic Socialist, . The 36-year-old New York representative, who is Christian, wore a scarf to cover her hair.
In his message on X, Mamdani wished ‘Eid Mubarak’ and tied the festival’s theme of sacrifice and charity to his political ideology.
“Eid al-Adha reminds us that sacrifice is not a burden,” Mamdani posted on social media. “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 and I am determined to lead through solidarity.”
Mamdani’s outfit evoked reactions on the internet. “Arsenal thobe is insane drip! Eid Mubarak Mr Mayor,” wrote a user on Instrgram generating over 2500 comments.
‘Fit goes crazy,’ wrote another user.
About Arsenal Football Club
(Arsenal FC) is the premier English professional football club which is based in Islington, North London and competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Also known as “The Gunners,” Arsenal are one of the most successful and widely supported clubs in the world.
In a 2025 interview with Vulture, Mamdani had said he started following Arsenal as a boy. “I came up as a fan in the early 2000s, and it was my uncle who introduced me to the team,” he had said.
Arsenal won the last week for the first time in 22 years this season and will play against PSG in the UEFA Champions League final on 30 May.
“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 Touré, Nwankwo Kanu, Emmanuel Eboué, Alex Song. Over the years, [then-manager] Arsene Wenger transformed what English soccer looked like,” he said.
Mamdani was recently spotted alongside actors Spike Lee and Jason Sudeikis at a Brooklyn bar, as the trio celebrated Arsenal’s long-awaited victory.
Eid Al-Adha in US and India
Eid al-Adha, also known as the “” is the second major Islamic holiday. The day honours Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God, and coincides with the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
US celebrated Eid al Adha on 27 May. In India the festival is being observed on 28 May, except Jammu and Kashmir where it was marked on 27 May.
