This was not only about trying to build the biggest wave.
That matters because football culture is often strongest when it feels shared rather than ticketed. By moving the celebration away from a stadium, the organisers appeared to be making a point about access, identity and memory.
For many supporters, Mexico 1986 is one of the World Cup’s defining editions. It lives on through iconic images, giant crowds and the global spread of the ola, a crowd movement long associated with Mexican football culture. That association has always been about more than nostalgia. It speaks to Mexico’s place in the sport as a host nation that understands atmosphere as part of the spectacle.
That is why the Reforma event lands so cleanly. It connects a famous football gesture to a famous city, and it does so in full public view.
Host countries spend years talking about infrastructure, logistics and security. Supporters usually remember something else: the mood. Events like this suggest Mexico wants to sell that mood early. The message is simple enough - the World Cup is coming, and the streets are already part of it.
The next storyline to watch is how that energy travels from symbolic street moments into the wider tournament build-up, especially in host cities trying to turn football history into a living celebration again.