When the City Becomes the Colosseum: 2026 World Cup and the Return of Mass Spectacle to Public Space

The article traces the evolution of mass spectacle architecture from the Colosseum in Rome to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City. The Flavian Amphitheatre, inaugurated in 80 AD, could hold over 50,000 spectators and featured efficient circulation via 80 numbered arches and vomitoria. In the 20th century, radio and television privatized the experience, atomizing crowds into isolated households. However, the 2026 World Cup has reversed this trend: extreme-brightness mega-screens have been installed in public spaces, drawing millions back onto the streets. The climax occurred on Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City, where a crucial match for the Mexican national team turned the avenue into an open-air stadium for one million people. Screens were placed from the Ángel de la Independencia to the Monumento a la Revolución. The crowd used tree-lined medians as stands and skyscraper stairways as seating. Architect Rem Koolhaas is quoted: 'Evil can also be beautiful. The Colosseum of Rome, for example, is a wonderful structure with a terrible past.' The article argues that the future of public space lies not in exclusive enclosed containers but in liberating spectacle to consume the city.