Mamdani Watches World Cup Semis at One of Few Affordable Housing Locales Available in NYC: Jail
Sure, rents are sky-high in Zohran Mamdani’s New York City — the highest they ever have been. But say this for the soccer-loving mayor of the country’s most populous city: He found some affordable housing to watch the World Cup semifinals.
It may have been Rikers Island jail, but hey: If you get sent there, the landlord isn’t collecting rent.
According to The Associated Press, Mamdani — who’s already faced criticism for his infamous “warmth of collectivism” quote after he urged New Yorkers to turn their thermostats up to 78 during a recent heat wave — watched Argentina’s thrilling 2-1 victory over England on Wednesday at a watch party in the city’s notorious prison complex, along with over 100 inmates who qualified to watch with him due to model behavior.
So, you know, low-income housing, but at least he was separated from the real riff-raff.
From the AP:
The inmates, dressed in tan uniforms, took seats at tables facing a large projection screen set up in a gymnasium. The jail has hosted about 90 such watch parties since the tournament kicked off last month, with about 4,500 of the roughly 6,600 inmates incarcerated on the 400-acre island participating, correction officials said.
“Programs like this equal safety in our jail,” said Stanley Richards, the city’s correction commissioner and a former Rikers inmate. “What we say to them is that your humanity is seen, heard and valued.”
The scene Wednesday was in sharp contrast to complaints about Rikers Island that have been so bad in recent years that a federal judge appointed an outside manager to help improve the facility.
It’s worth noting that Mamdani has also pledged to close the facility, in line with a 2019 city law, although the new facilities almost certainly won’t be ready to meet a 2027 deadline to move to modern, borough-based facilities, The New York Times reported.
First opened in 1932, the Bronx-adjacent facility in the East River is basically something straight out of Dickens. But at least if you get sent there, it’s affordable.
In Manhattan and Brooklyn, Fox News reported on Tuesday, median rents hit $5,295 and $4,350, respectively, the highest ever recorded.
That data, from real estate firm the Corcoran Group, also noted that 38 percent of the city’s residents were born outside of the United States and 40 percent of rentals went to foreign-born individuals. New York’s data doesn’t distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants, but you can probably figure out what’s driving housing demand: The fact it’s not only the nation’s largest city but a sanctuary city, as well.
Of course, it also doesn’t help that the mayor froze rents on rent-stabilized units earlier in the summer, which also had the effect of driving prices higher on non-regulated units:
It might be hot outside but the rent is freezing. pic.twitter.com/EXPaI8emyv
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) June 26, 2026
It’s almost as if basic economic realities, like Argentina’s national soccer team, remain undefeated. How ’bout that.
Mamdani didn’t have time to talk about the rent issue with Fox News when his office was contacted Monday, but he did have time to talk soccer with some Rikers Island inmates.
One of the inmates said that he expected Argentina to win over England and go onto the final against Spain — which is being held across the river in New Jersey at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
“You never know,” said Mamdani — who made news for publicly ripping the video assistant referee overturning an Egypt goal that likely would have put Argentina away earlier in the knockout rounds.
🚨🇦🇷 NEW: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani says that Egypt were “robbed” in yesterday’s World Cup game against Argentina pic.twitter.com/bigWXCN04q
— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) July 8, 2026
To be fair, even blind squirrels can find a nut, although Egypt choking away a two-goal lead and losing 3-2 was entirely on the team, not the VAR. In England’s choke-job on Wednesday, the team didn’t need the VAR, just an abysmally defense-oriented strategy that tried to preserve a one-goal lead that didn’t work. (Argentina tied it up in the 85th minute and then scored the winning goal two minutes into stoppage time.)
And if the mayor and friends had to watch Lionel Messi and Co. score another improbable victory, at least they did it in style:
Thomas McCoy was among those simply relishing a rare treat: a catered meal. The buffet spread included salad greens, salmon, penne alla vodka and chicken parmesan, along with Snapple drinks.
“It’s not a sports club, we can’t get our drinks on and stuff like that. That’s OK though,” said the 52-year-old Brooklyn resident. “I’ve been locked up 21 months, so it’s been a long time since I had real food like that. It was a wonderful experience.”
It wasn’t all Argentina-bashing, either: Another man told the mayor that he was headed back to the outside world later in the day.
“That’s amazing,” Mamdani said.
It’s nice to have freedom. Here’s hoping he has someone who’ll be willing to pay the rent or a job that allows him to throw away a few thousand a month on a median apartment price. Otherwise, he may be living outside of one of those buildings whose tenants are paying those record-high rent bills.
The warmth of collectivism, everyone!
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