Tipsheet

Zohran Mamdani Has an Historically Illiterate Take on Soccer

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  June 09, 2026 7:30 AM

History isn't the Left's strong suit. From the 1619 Project to the Civil War to things that happened last week, they don't have a grasp on the past because — oftentimes — it's inconvenient to their present and future. With the U.S., Canada, and Mexico slated to host matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is taking a hands-on approach to the event as only a socialist could. Way back in January, he vowed to make tickets to the upcoming match at MetLife Stadium 'affordable' for New Yorkers.

And now he's pretending that soccer wouldn't exist without immigrants.

"We will not allow ICE or anyone else to sow fear in our communities — especially at this moment. As the world comes to our city, we will stand proudly with our immigrant neighbors and reject these attacks for what they are: an attempt to divide us," he wrote on X.

Except that's historically illiterate.

The modern game of soccer was invented in England in 1863 when the Football Association was formed on October 26  of that year at the Freemasons' Tavern in London. This marked a formal separation from the sport of rugby, and Ebenezer Morley is considered the 'Father of Football.'

The first official game under the new rules of soccer was played on December 19, 1863.

Of course, versions of the game existed for hundreds of years prior to that, including in China, Ancient Greece, Rome, and parts of Central America.

History is easy if you open a book.

Correct. We understand that enforcing the law is foreign to Democrats, but some people actually do that.

He thinks he does, though.

Yes, he does. But New Yorkers voted for him.

The language means something, and Mamdani knows that. 

Soccer may be better known in America because of immigrants, but they did not invent or bring soccer to the world or the United States.