Since taking office, New York City’s Zohran Mamdani has made his passion for soccer abundantly clear. The former state assembly member hosted a watch party for the Africa Cup of Nations final shortly after settling into City Hall, frequently referencing both current and past soccer stars in his speeches, and has been a regular at a Brooklyn pub to cheer on Arsenal during their Premier League title run.
The World Cup represents a significant platform, and over the past month, Mamdani has emerged as a prominent figure among municipal leaders in U.S. host cities who are utilizing the tournament—and soccer more broadly—as a means to connect with residents, fulfill political objectives, and reshape their cities’ public images.
While mayors have long sought to achieve various goals, employing soccer as a tool for engagement is relatively novel in the United States, where American football, basketball, and baseball typically dominate the sports landscape.
“Football holds a rare power,” Mamdani stated during one of his Morning Pitch live streams, which have provided New Yorkers with traffic and weather updates on World Cup game days, alongside discussions about the sport. These streams have garnered substantial attention; the final episode, scheduled for Sunday coinciding with the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is set to feature a special guest: Gary Lineker, the renowned presenter and former England forward.
For Mamdani, discussing football comes easily. However, for many mayors across the U.S., this year marks their inaugural experience with a World Cup, especially one hosted on home turf.
San Jose’s mayor, Matt Mahan, found his childhood playing career curtailed early; he remained involved with soccer through coaching while teaching and now enjoys watching his daughter play in a local league. He views the opportunity to host World Cup matches in nearby Santa Clara as a chance to reshape perceptions of the city he governs.
“One of the things that we were able to communicate and show off about our city is that San Jose is fun, that it’s cool and that it’s a destination,” Mahan remarked. “That may not sound like a big deal to somebody in, say, New York, but in our region, San Jose is kind of a workhorse city. We’re a bedroom community where a lot of the Silicon Valley workforce lives, but we’re not seen as a, generally seen as a cultural destination, the way that San Francisco is.”
Mahan noted that local organizers aimed to convey this message by hosting watch parties at downtown’s San Pedro Square, estimating that around 350,000 people would attend throughout the tournament. However, total attendance has now exceeded 900,000 before the final match.
Organizing large events is not a new endeavor for the Bay Area, including San Jose, which recently hosted the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium. Mahan highlighted the unique aspects of the World Cup, noting its international appeal and the extended timeframe as opportunities to engage with constituents.
“You have a lot of time and so many matches that there are a lot of bites at the apple,” he explained. “The Super Bowl is one game … there’s nothing like the World Cup where virtually every community can be activated. “I mean, I’ve been out to San Pedro every, every day or two throughout the tournament, done a lot of selfie videos, and walking around talking to people, and just trying to actually document what we’re doing and celebrate our cultural diversity and our cultural vibrancy, and the small businesses.”
“the power to give billions worldwide a glimpse into another world –one beyond jobs that don’t pay enough, bills that pile up and leaders who never meet their promises. The power to deliver joy to the people.” he added.
Similar initiatives are unfolding nationwide, with Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass announcing multiple watch party locations throughout her city. In Philadelphia, the World Cup coincided with Fourth of July and America 250 festivities, prompting Mayor Cherelle Parker to personally reach out to performers on Independence Day to continue a concert that had been interrupted by thunderstorms.
In Kansas City, Mayor Quinton Lucas had a somewhat different objective: to promote the city to a global audience. He characterized the hosting efforts as a strategy to “brand the city,” noting that the World Cup also presents an opportunity to advocate for the city’s ongoing streetcar project—a rare public transportation initiative in a city predominantly reliant on cars, which faced considerable traffic challenges on game days.
For Mamdani, the city he governs hardly requires promotion. Instead, he has utilized his daily livestreams to further his political philosophy, intertwining it with the sport he has cherished since his youth in Uganda.
These efforts have attracted followers beyond the five boroughs. For his stream discussing the Brazil vs. Morocco match (his pick for World Cup champion) on June 13, Mamdani took the opportunity to educate viewers about Sócrates, the Brazilian midfielder known for his political activism. The moment resonated in Brazil, going viral and even being shared by Corinthians, Sócrates’ former team in São Paulo.
The sport, Mamdani emphasized during a recent stream, possesses “the power to give billions worldwide a glimpse into another world—one beyond jobs that don’t pay enough, bills that pile up, and leaders who never meet their promises. The power to deliver joy to the people.”
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