Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani on the impact of football's biggest spectacle: Men in Blazers 06/12/26

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1:12We are delighted to bring you the Men in Blazers City Guides presented by Visa. A joyously assembled guide to the best places to eat, drink and explore and watch the beautiful game across the country. It's a guide aimed at helping fans experience the city as a local. It's built by you, our listeners, recommending some of the best small businesses in your communities. Like the finest Viet Cajun in Houston. Yes. The best burrito in San Francisco. Yes. Where to savour lemon pepper wet in Atlanta. Yes, yes, yes. A massive shout out to our sponsor, Visa, who's made this guide possible. Visa gives local business owners the tools and support to be ready for moments exactly like this one, welcoming you to enjoy the games this summer.

2:01Start planning your journey at meninblazers.com backslash cityguides. You're listening to the Men in Blazers Media Network, suboptimal radio. You've gone on the record saying you hate VAR. I did. Yes, but... number 19 baby commits a foul on the goalkeeper I've always loved Bart

2:27my guest today may well be America's foremost football fan you may know him as an Arsenal diehard you probably know him even more as a defender on the feared Bronx High School of Science backline but there's no finer guest on the first day of the World Cup than the mayor of the city where the final will be in 39 days time. It's incredible to welcome Tamir Zoramamdani. Thank you so much, Raj. It's great to be here. We are on the cusp of a 39-day journey. You've been on this many times before, 2002. You watched Senegal play France. It blew your mind. So those who this is going to be the first time watching a World Cup dwarfs the Super Bowl.

3:05Can you put into perspective what makes this so massive? It's like a global eclipse. I think you said it best. It's the fact that the entire world is focused on one thing and there's a beautiful feeling of being a part of something bigger than yourself and i think we're talking about the first time in history that we're going to have 48 teams competing and there's so many of those teams that it's the first time they're ever competing in the world cup yeah i mean this thing is beautiful gives memories to millions around the world some of my most profound maradona baggio clint dempsey and part of it is that when two teams take the field in a World Cup, their nation's histories, their nation's politics, their nation's cultures take the field alongside them.

3:46Is that what makes it so searing in your brain? I think it's that. And it also feels that there's a greater level of possibility of anything happening than compared to the world of club football, where it feels a little bit more, there's a little bit greater sense of prediction. That's an awesome fun speaking. The XG is more related to the outcomes in club football, I would argue. But I think, you know, But one of the things I loved most about the World Cup as a kid was that you discovered new players. You discovered new teams. I still remember 2002, that Senegalese team, right? El-Haji Jouf, Papa Bubadjouf, Aliu Sissé.

4:21These were players that I didn't know going in. And then after that run, they then became parts of teams that we all knew the names of. If you look at the Turkish team in 2002, right? Ilhan Manzis, I mean, Rekber Rushtu, you know, you remember these players. and it's just a lovely thing to discover something again. And I think that's what the World Cup provides us with, even in such a global age as the one we live in. I can't name the starting 11 of Curaçao, but I can't wait to watch them play. And you know that within seconds of an ecstatic, transcendent moment, there's going to be kids all over the planet shouting out their name, I am Papa.

4:56You know, I am a shalabalaba, trying to recreate that goal with a wonder. What a goal that was. Oh, man, it's serious. I know, shalabalala. What a goal for Africa. All for all of Africa. God, that is the good stuff. A word from our friends at 1440. The 2022 World Cup final drew 1.5 billion viewers. It's 11 times this year's Super Bowl. To understand how football became the world's game and what drove it, listen to 1440 Explores with Financial Times journalist Simon Kuiper, who will give you the inside scoop into the depths of the tournament. Listen to 1440 Explores wherever you get your podcasts.

5:33Ladies, an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is also the official sponsor of all bandwagon fans during this euphoric summer of footballing wonder. And this summer, they're inviting all of us to jump on because come kickoff, hope springs eternal. My cold, dark heart grows three sizes every FIFA World Cup. The ebullient Moroccans, the splime Spanish, you can't help but fall in love again and again. So ask grandma if perhaps you'll want 16th French, Brazilian or Japanese, adopt a new anthem. Borrow a new flag. Embrace that bandwagon. Because when your team goes home, the party doesn't have to.

6:09Grab a bag of leis, gather some friends and cheer for whoever you damn well like. But we are living in a chaotic world. Jurgen Klopp, the quasi-religious Liverpool manager, liked to repeat the football truth, that football is the most important, least important thing. John Oliver comes on our show a lot last time. He said, strangely, the more challenge the world's become, the more important football's become to him. What is it for you? Is it a distraction that we should be careful of or is it just a relief, a release, a sense of unity? I think it's so much more than a distraction. I think it's an expression.

6:45And I think that in many ways, it's a language that we can communicate with other people. So often you see when you speak to someone, you know it's their second language, their third language. It's as if you're speaking to a shadow of them. But when you're speaking to them about football or you're playing football, it's as if you get a sense of who they are. and you know even the videos of south korean fans landing in mexico it's the magic of the cup that's what you want this to be upside down in a bucket of tequila i mean this is like by the way when you talk about that part of the joy of this next 39 days is america falling in love with global football but the flip side is also true it's about global football fans falling in love of america i found it incredibly moving watching german fans go to waffle house for the first time having their minds blown.

7:31There was that video from Lawrence, Kansas. Yes. The Algerian fans. Now Algerian fans. Welcoming with real emotion the Algerian fans into their hearts. Can you talk about the beauty of what you hope the world will see of the United States, these 11 host cities in these 39 days? I think the beauty of this country lies in the beauty of the people who call this country home. And this is a game and a World Cup and a tournament where we have an opportunity for people to meet each other as they are, not as they perceive each other. And if you're talking about Kansas or you're talking about here in New York City, we can't wait to have so many visitors from across the world.

8:08And also, it's an opportunity for those who already live here to rediscover their own city. Because I remember, you know, as a New Yorker growing up here, one of my favorite joys was to watch the game in a cafe or a restaurant of the team. And that's the chance as well for New Yorkers this time around. We can't wait to help make that happen. The European mind cannot comprehend and dirty water hot dogs. Probably not. Wait till those football fans meet Pizza Rat. I mean, that is going to blow their minds. It's going to be... New York City, baby. And what about New York? It is the greatest footballing city in the world in terms of the cultures that are here, the fan bases that are here, the stew joints all over the five boroughs that you can watch a game in and feel like you are transported in time to the host country.

8:52We will have eight games here. It's a profound moment. This is a beautiful tapestry, 350 nationalities, 200 languages spoke here. The football fans are about to descend here. Mayor, if you are to tell them three places they have to go to eat to get a true taste of the city. Wow. Go for it. Okay, well, one, I'll cheat a little bit and I'll say we have a 26 for 26 deal where you can get food, drink for$26 in more than 488 restaurants across New York City. Always be selling. You've got to go to one of those places. The second is you got to use some public transit while you're here. So whether you want to take the train, get on the bus, ride a bike, take a ferry, whether it's a New York City ferry, the Staten Island ferry.

9:32We have some New York City ferries that are branded with the World Cup. I would recommend that's another thing to do. Eating. Still two more to go though. Eating. Come on. Next one. Check out Coney Island. And eat. You know, and eat. And enjoy. And take the Cyclops. Come on. I'm a hard-fitting political reporter. What I would say you should have is one of those definitely unlicensed corn on the cobs right outside of a cyclone. It's incredible. It is. You'll never want to go home. Third and final one. Third and final one of what you got to eat. Yeah. Try some biryani at Kebab King in Jackson Heights.

10:06Live a little. Go to Diversity Plaza. Cool. Have some pan. Have an allergic reaction. Enjoy yourself. That's what life's about. Live on the edge. There are a lot of doctors around. Live on the edge. Has cruel fate smashed your dreams of footballing glory during this FIFA World Cup? Fear not. You're now a sporting free agent. With your choice of squads, the opportunity to pick someone new. The teams with the catcher songs. The country you studied abroad in. The goalkeeper with the magnificent hair. When your team's gone, fun doesn't have to be. Because on the Lays bandwagon, every match is another excuse to grab a snack and pick a new favourite.

10:44There are no wrong answers. Only good times and tasty snacks. So jump on and enjoy the rest of the tournament because Leigh's keeps the party going and the bandwagon has never tasted better. Leigh's, official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026. And as the world arrives in the United States for the biggest spectacle in sports, we're going coast to coast, host city to host city to meet the world with the Men in Blazers Match Day Live Tour. These are free college game day style live events It's taking place just before kickoff at some of the biggest games of the summer, where we'll be taking the stage with celebrity guests in front of thousands of fans.

11:23It's going to be amazing. Come and be with us in person or from afar on YouTube. And let's celebrate this summer the way it's meant to be celebrated. Just head to the events tab on meninblazers.com for all the details. To the football, to more together courage. Sophie's Choice. Which Arsenal player are you most looking forward to seeing in action at this World Cup? I think it has to be Bukayo. Although, now that I'm reading about what Tuchel just said about Bukayo, maybe we want Bukayo to be resting. But I love watching Bukayo play. What does it make you feel inside? He feels like the bridge between the past and the present.

11:58He feels like a man that survived the banter era and has helped to bring us into this moment where we are the champions of England. He's brought silence and won. I will say Eberichie Eze scoring that winner in the final will be the redemption story that I think the world needs right now. You are someone who positions themselves about radical change. If I gave you the power to change one rule about football forever, what would it be? Wow. Look, his mind, genuinely. This is like in the beautiful mind, that mind is now popping. To go back in time and to rescind the card given to Robin Van Persie for having played past the whistle.

12:34Bless, just to right it wrong. You've come on the record saying you hate VAR. I did. Yes, but.

12:45Go on, number 19, baby. Nick commits a foul on the goalkeeper. Final decision, direct free kick. When I say those words to you. I've always loved Barr. I don't know what you're talking about. Does that now sound like poetry on the levels of Langston Hughes? I feel like that could be on my tombstone. Oh, amen. God bless. Hopefully not for a long time. Final is in New York City. You know from a past interview, you picked Morocco to beat France. I did. I went with the heart. You had the US losing to England in the quarterfinals. England loses to France in the semis. You said that when you chose Morocco.

13:15I went with the heart. If that's who you want to win, who do you think will win? What does the brain say where? What does the XG say? I mean, the French are the favorites, I would say. The team is just too... It's like Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey cast, isn't it? Yeah. It's just absolutely stacked. I don't know. Maybe part of it is that I'm watching my documentary about Dominic in 2010. I don't know if you've seen that yet on Netflix. We all love astrology. That's how we make some of our best decisions. I know you cheer for many teams. Talk about the power and allure of the African teams. If you're invited to address the United States team in that locker room before they take the field for that first game against Paraguay tomorrow, what would you say to inspire them?

13:58I would tell them that this is a moment where the hearts of our country are open to this game, to this team. And I know that soccer has long been one of the games most played across our country, but not one of the games most watched. And here is the potential to be the generation that actually delivers us a new place in the world of global football. And I think this is exactly the team to do so. And luckily, they're going to hear a much better speech from Pochettino. Oh, God willing. How do you think they're going to do it? I think the quarterfinals would be a good place to go. I've been thinking their best hope, and you could fix this, because you know him.

14:35Invite Spike Lee to sit center court, sit midfield, front row on that thing. Everything that man touches. is Arsenal, Knicks, why not the US? He definitely has a golden thumb right now. Make it happen, Mayor. Last question for you. This thing is enormous. 48 teams, 39 days, three nations, 104 games. What's your greatest hope, the loftiest hope? What's your wish for the world at the end of this? What's your message to the world as it comes to America? My wish is for the world and for Americans to see ourselves and our country as we could be. and not as we are today. And there are glimmers and glimpses of that.

15:15Because amidst so much of the division, so much of the repression, there is still a country that is so excited for this moment and so excited to be one part of what is a global game. And to welcome others from across the world, to welcome those who live in the same cities into our homes, into our cities, into our restaurants. It is a fulfillment of what so many of us want this country to be. Go, go USA. Thank you, man. How many games are you going to? I think right now a couple. I'm still trying to nail it down. Eight. No, it's not going to be eight. Make great memories. Thank you.