The mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, this weekend defended football as a space for social mobilization and praised former Brazilian player Sócrates and Democracia Corinthiana, a movement against the military dictatorship in Brazil that involved members of the São Paulo club. Mamdani published a video on social media last Saturday (13), before the Brazil and Morocco game, for the World Cup in the United States. Related news: Haitian Revolution: the history vetoed by FIFA on a World Cup shirt. Climate of fear and high prices keep fans away from the World Cup in the USA. The African continent takes 10 teams to the 2026 World Cup. "Football created movements, helped topple dictators and, for 90 minutes, not only allowed us to forget our problems, but also find ways to overcome them. What a beautiful game", highlighted the mayor. Mayor Mamdani Hosts “The Morning Pitch” to Provide Traffic and Weather Updates Ahead of World Cup https://t.co/UzNwqD24zf June 13, 2026 "As we prepare to celebrate the World Cup here in New York, we are creating and celebrating something much bigger than goals scored and tackles made. We are celebrating a sport that has given millions of people around the world, so many of them poor and forgotten, a sense of belonging, a connection with others, a feeling of solidarity," said Mamdani. Corinthian Democracy Corinthian Democracy was a movement that made history in Brazilian football and aimed at greater participation of players and other employees in the club's decisions. By vote, they gained the right to choose things like training times and concentration details. In 1982, Waldemar Pires was elected president of Corinthians and began to carry out this dialogue with the players on the professional squad. Among these athletes were Sócrates, Wladimir, Casagrande, Biro-Biro, Zé Maria and Zenon, politicized leaders who gained space as voices of the group. The team's influence was not restricted to football and, during that period, Corinthians printed political phrases such as "Diretas Já" on their shirts, at a time when social movements were coming together to fight for the return of democracy to the country. Corinthian Democracy lasted a few years and began to lose strength in 1984, when Casagrande went to São Paulo and Sócrates transferred to Fiorentina. During the period, the team won the Campeonato Paulista three times (1982, 1983 and 1988) and, in 1990, it would win the Campeonato Brasileiro for the first time in its history. In the video, Mayor Zohran Mamdani recalled Sócrates' performance as a Brazilian midfielder in the 1970s and 80s, including the 1982 World Cup, when he was captain of the team. "These were difficult years for Brazil. A repressive military dictatorship governed the country, imposing its rule by force. At Corinthians, the club he captained, Sócrates and his companions participated in what every ordinary Brazilian dreamed of: democracy. They began an experiment in self-government called Democracia Corintiana. Regardless of whether it was the attacking star or the laundry employee, everyone had the same vote", he exalted. “And, while the military dictatorship tortured and murdered its citizens, Sócrates led the players on the field, wearing jackets with the words ‘I want to vote for my president’”, recalled Mamdani. Brazil debuted against Morocco in the World Cup, on Saturday, in a game at the MetLife Stadium, in New Jersey, a city that is one of the championship venues along with New York. The match in Group C ended in a 1-1 draw. Democrat Zohran Mamdani, 34, took office in January this year as mayor of one of the most important cities in the United States. He is the first Muslim to command the city and the youngest to hold the post since 1892. The New York mayor is a descendant of immigrants, considers himself a socialist, is critical of United States President Donald Trump and is in favor of the Palestinian cause.