Muslim Gooners: Arsenal supporters’ group seeks official recognition
The network counts former players among its followers and now hopes to gain formal status following Arsenal’s Premier League win
Muslim Gooners, Arsenal’s Muslim supporters’ group, is redoubling its efforts to gain official recognition as the club celebrates its first Premier League win in 22 years.
Recognition would mean more opportunities for the group’s large informal network of Muslim Gunners fans and would see Muslim Gooners sit alongside national groups such as Arsenal Indonesia, Arsenal Malaysia, Arsenal Saudi Arabia and Arsenal Morocco, which enjoy active promotion by the club and are able to hold charity matches and group gatherings in their respective countries endorsed by Arsenal.
For co-founder Faris Gohir, though, it would also signal to Muslim fans that they matter. “It would be important to really further champion that diversity within the Arsenal fan base,” he said, “even though we know there’s a large Muslim contingent.”
Gohir, who was born in Islington but grew up in Birmingham and inherited Arsenal fandom from his dad, set up Muslim Gooners in February 2025 with his sister Aaliyah. He describes the team’s ascent to the top of English football by winning the league on Sunday — for the first time since 2004, when he was three — as “some sort of a dream”.
“It was just beautiful to see everyone coming together,” he said. Spontaneous street parties have taken place across London since Arsenal became certain to win the league on 19 May, including at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, where footage from the following day showed players Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurriën Timber meeting fans and taking pictures at 5am. “It was just that outpouring of emotion that’s been bottled inside for years,” Gohir added. “I really, really resonated with that.
“We know there’s hostility towards Muslims with the recent events that have taken place like the Unite the Kingdom rallies — but we’ve seen videos, after Arsenal won, of people who are visibly Muslim having the time of their lives.”
For most of Gohir’s Arsenal-supporting life, the club, by its formerly lofty standards, has lurched from one low to another. He and his sister were used to being ridiculed by rival fans whenever football was discussed.
The pair founded Muslim Gooners to widen participation for people who “don’t traditionally attend” live games or take part in the rituals. Even though the Arsenal fan base is diverse, Muslims still require a “central point” of contact that “connects their voices together”, he explained.
The group now helps fans find halal eateries and prayer spaces in and around the stadium, and connects Muslim supporters to each other through WhatsApp groups. On Instagram, it has more than 30,000 followers, and on TikTok more than 34,000.
It counts former players such as Yaya Sanogo and Armand Traoré as followers. When Arsenal won the league, Gohir said, Sanogo sent him a message that read: “Alhamdulillah we are champions!” His dream, however, would be to secure the involvement of Mohamed Elneny, the Egyptian international who played a leading role in opening Arsenal’s multifaith prayer room, and Mesut Özil, his favourite player.
Of the current playing squad, only William Saliba identifies as Muslim, while Dr Zafar Iqbal, the head of sports medicine and performance, is the sole Muslim representative in the backroom team. Saliba, who is known for praying on the pitch before kickoff, revealed earlier in 2026 that he had committed to fasting while playing during Ramadan, and scored his only Premier League goal during this time against Chelsea. He also delayed the interview itself to attend Friday prayers.
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“You can play at the elite level and win a Premier League title whilst being unapologetically Muslim,” said Gohir.
Iqbal’s influence, too, is important for breaking down systemic barriers, Gohir added. “He was a main factor as to why the Premier League have integrated pauses into matches to allow Muslim players to break their fast,” he explained. “This shows young fans from a similar background that there are other avenues to have impact.”
Arsenal will play in the Champions League final on Saturday and could make history in Budapest by becoming champions of Europe for the first time if they beat Paris Saint-Germain. Muslim Gooners are hosting a sold-out screening in partnership with the London Islamic Cultural Society and Mosque in Hornsey, north London, so fans can watch the game in an inclusive, faith-friendly environment.
As well as seeking official recognition, Muslim Gooners has sought the support of Arsenal Women’s Supporters Association and Brown Girls Sport to widen participation for Muslim women with game day experiences and help with the bureaucracy of setting up members’ groups.
Gohir said the group intended to resume communication with the club about recognition, already begun on an informal level, after the Champions League final.
