Really is different here. A World Cup dispatch from MND's summer intern

A World Cup dispatch from MND’s summer intern describes the atmosphere in Mexico City during Mexico’s Round of 32 match against Ecuador. The writer arrived at the Zócalo hours early on Tuesday, but heavy rain, lightning nearby, and delays pushed kick-off back by another hour, affecting the FIFA Fan Festival. The intern began the day at 6:15 a.m., taking a 7:30 bus from San Miguel de Allende to Mexico City, and explored Colonia Centro before reaching the square nearly four hours before the game. Accompanied by coworker María Ruiz Hernández and her friend—both raised in Mexico—the group experienced a crowd of hundreds of thousands of supporters under storm conditions. When Estadio Azteca appeared on the big screen in front of the National Palace, the crowd surged, and the energy after kickoff felt distinctly different, though the author says it did not feel unsafe. The dispatch reflects on the writer’s prior exposure to major sports crowds, including a Chicago Cubs parade in 2016.