"For a moment, the incoming mayor of the most powerful city in the United States was simply another geeked-out Arsenal obsessive left weak by one of his childhood heroes. And in that moment lies something revealing about how football fandom in the US has changed. This was not a politician deploying a sports reference for relatability; it was a display of genuine allegiance that's planted at the intersection of two different stories about how Americans have come to love the global game."
"What Mamdani's reaction captured, in miniature, is the broader moment US soccer now finds itself in. Stateside interest has quietly climbed to unprecedented levels: Premier League audiences have grown for more than a decade; every big club now has thriving US supporters' groups; and football has entered the cultural bloodstream through celebrity-ownership projects such as Ryan Reynolds and Wrexham (and its various rip-offs), through athletes drifting into national politics (Cristiano Ronaldo turning a White House visit into a surreal photo-op) and through the long on-ramp to next summer's big, beautiful World Cup on home soil."
Zohran Mamdani reacted with genuine excitement when former striker Ian Wright played a congratulatory video, revealing deep personal allegiance to Arsenal. The moment illustrates growing mainstream football fandom in the United States. Premier League audiences have increased for over a decade, and major clubs now have thriving US supporters' groups. Celebrity ownership projects like Ryan Reynolds's involvement with Wrexham and high-profile athlete interactions have embedded football in American cultural life. The approach to the 2026 World Cup on home soil is amplifying interest. Mamdani has opposed FIFA's dynamic pricing for 2026 tickets, calling it an affront to the game.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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