NYC’s Youngest Mayor's Surprising Link To Spanish Football
Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York City, has an unexpected connection to Spanish football. Beyond his historic win as the city's youngest mayor in over a century and the first Muslim and South Asian to hold the position, Mamdani is also a shareholder in Real Oviedo, a La Liga team.
Mamdani's journey to City Hall culminated on November 4, 2025, when he defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. The 34-year-old democratic socialist energized voters with his focus on affordability and housing in the city. He has pledged to freeze rents on rent-stabilized apartments and raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for new services, like free buses and city-run grocery stores.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian parents, Mamdani moved to New York City at the age of seven and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. Before entering politics, he worked as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor in Queens, helping low-income homeowners. He was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, representing Astoria, Queens, and was reelected in 2022 and 2024.
His connection to Real Oviedo dates back to 2012 when the club was facing severe financial difficulties and was on the brink of bankruptcy. The third-tier club needed £1.6 million to survive a winding up order and decided to sell shares for supporters to purchase. Football fans across the world stepped in to save the Asturian club. Mamdani, then a 21-year-old, was among the 20,000 people who purchased shares to support the club.
In November 2012, Mamdani posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Just bought a share, possibly Oviedo's first shareholder based in Maine?". The club responded, "Congratulations on your victory! New York now has much more of an Oviedo-blue color to it".
Other notable figures, including Michu, Real Madrid, Juan Mata, and YouTuber Spencer Owen, also invested in the club. The club also received investment from Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.
Real Oviedo survived and, last season, achieved promotion back to La Liga, where they are playing for the first time since 2000-01.
Mamdani's passion for football extends beyond his investment in Real Oviedo. He grew up supporting Arsenal in Uganda and told Sky News that he stays up to watch transfer deadline day every year.
As mayor, Mamdani will also have sporting matters to contend with, notably the 2026 World Cup, with the final being held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, just outside New York City. His experience with football, from investing in a struggling Spanish club to potentially helping organize one of the sport's biggest events, adds an unexpected dimension to his already compelling story.
