NYC Mayor makes Mario Balotelli reference in World Cup 2026 promise

Mario Balotelli at Manchester City in 2012 — Mario Balotelli got a mention from the New York mayor (Image credit: Alamy)

Politicians trying to show they have the common touch and talking football on the campaign trail is nothing new.

Whether it was Tony Blair trading headers with Kevin Keegan back in the ‘90s or David Cameron trying to remember if he supported West Ham or Aston Villa, this is a trope that more often than not ends with egg on the politician’s face.

But over in New York, they now have a mayor with a genuine passion for the game in Zohran Mamdani, an Arsenal fan and shareholder in Real Oviedo.

Mamdani’s Balotelli reference

With the World Cup kicking off this week, Mamdani has been doing all he can to promote New York’s status as a host city, with a recent reference in a speech promising a ‘safe’ World Cup, including a typically eye-catching reference.

As he promised to be in constant communication before games in the city, Mamdani quoted a certain former Manchester City striker.

Democratic Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani speaks with reporters while hosting "The Cost of Living Classic" soccer tournament with NYC Footy soccer league on October 19, 2025 in New York City — Zohran Mamdani is gearing up for the World Cup (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Mario Balotelli, one of the greatest strikers in recent memory, once said about his goal celebrations: ‘When I score, I don’t celebrate because I only do my job. When a postman delivers letters, does he celebrate?'” Mamdani told his crowd.

“When I score, I don’t celebrate because it’s my job. When a postman delivers letters, does he celebrate?

“When New York puts on a World Cup that is organised, safe, and runs smoothly and easily, will we celebrate? No, because we are only doing our job.”

Mamdani is clearly a fan of the maverick former Manchester City striker, but won’t get the chance to watch him in action this summer, due to Italy’s failure to qualify for the tournament for the third straight time, while Balotelli’s last international appearance came back in a 2018 Nations League draw against Poland.

Balotelli is currently playing for Al-Ittifaq in the UAE, the 15th club in a career which has seen him win 36 Italy caps and net almost 200 career goals.

Mayor of New York City is quoting Mario Balotelli pic.twitter.com/7OL8q2QnyAJune 4, 2026

The 35-year-old won three Serie A titles with Inter Milan, plus a Premier League and FA Cup with Manchester City, where his time was dominated by a series of pranks and incidents on and off the pitch, including his iconic ‘Why Always Me?’ t-shirt that he unveiled after scoring against Manchester United in 2011.

Mamdani is a self-confessed football fanatic, often talking about his love of Arsenal and playing FIFA games, while he also hosted an AFCON final watch party shortly after he was sworn in as mayor back in January.

MetLife Stadium - which is technically in New Jersey, but is the home of NFL duo the New York Jets and Giants - will host eight World Cup games this summer, including England’s final Group L match against Panama on June 27, plus the tournament’s final on July 19.

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For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.