Mae West, the American performer and iconoclast, once offered a quip along these lines: "If a little is great, and a lot is better, then way too much is just about right!"

Welcome to the 2026 World Cup: the picture of unmatched extravagance.

In many respects, this summer's event lacks fresh elements. True, certain aspects stand apart: it marks the first time three nations share hosting duties, and it features 48 teams for the initial time. Yet as the tournament nears, the dominant narratives center on sheer size - every facet of this competition simply feels amplified.

"Finding any earlier parallel proves tough," noted Tim Sisk, a historian, writer and University of Denver professor skilled at spotting patterns in global athletics. Sisk offered a slight shrug. "This edition carries an added measure of intricacy, to put it mildly."

That description may understate matters. The pre-tournament tale reads as distinctly American: the United States has drawn nearly all attention (with a nod to Canada and Mexico also opening doors) while expanding and amplifying every element beyond prior imagination. What does the film-trailer narrator typically proclaim? You have never witnessed anything quite like this?

Honestly, we have not.

Ticket costs? Earlier World Cups raised issues around supply or pricing. Yet never did markups reach levels where final-match seats fetched more than $40,000 ahead of kickoff? Never did the excess prompt a regional probe into whether supporters faced deception via FIFA's updated ticketing system (which, incidentally, earns the body a cut on both initial and resale deals)?

Has any prior host nation's leader ever reviewed those figures and reportedly remarked, "I would not pay that either, to be frank"?

In short: no.

Immigration and entry hurdles for overseas supporters and athletes? Again, familiar at such events. But not within a nation experiencing widespread civic demonstrations, occasional attacks on outsiders, heightened device checks for anti-government posts and strict entry limits on citizens from four competing nations.

Travel anxieties follow the same pattern; few enjoy crisscrossing a vast territory. Yet beyond routine holdups, this World Cup brings sharp fuel-driven spikes in flight rates and unfolds mostly in a land whose safety agency often faces staffing crises that hobble operations, plus an air network prone to breakdowns amid summer storms.

Then comes the Iran question and its uncertain involvement. Have prior World Cups seen a qualified side weigh skipping the event? Yes, mainly long ago when ocean crossings proved too costly for some federations. But never because a qualified nation faced attack from a host and remained locked in active combat with it? Absolutely not.

"It has proven extremely challenging for the players," a former Iran federation official told ESPN lately. "Reaching a World Cup represents their goal. Yet not under these conditions."

Host criticism is hardly novel. Human-rights questions, financial strains or social biases marked buildups in Russia and Qatar alike.

Still: this case stands apart, largely because the United States casts itself globally as markedly distinct from others.

"Past cases featured demonstrations, walkouts and domestic friction - those occur regularly," Sisk, the professor, observed. "Yet witnessing this level of division and, at times, rights concerns inside a democracy, especially the planet's largest and most established one, marks the clearest departure from earlier tournaments."

Iran's Jahanbakhsh: We're in the U.S. to call for peace and unity

Many of these conditions simply reflect operating realities inside today's United States, and the upsides of hosting across North America prove equally substantial.

No worries here over squandered public funds on temporary sites or abandoned structures as seen elsewhere. Recall the Brasilia venue in Brazil converted into a $900 million transit hub once matches ended? Unlikely for SoFi Stadium. The 2026 venues, many NFL grounds, were built for precisely these occasions and remain current and well-appointed.

Alcohol? Permitted and available inside stadiums and fan areas. Lodging? No need for container-style camps as in Qatar, given abundant options (albeit pricey). Transit? Admittedly uneven, yet where effective - such as Philadelphia, where every supporter rides home free via subway after each match - the system shines.

Where it falters? We return to the oversized theme, with New York supporters facing roughly $100 round-trip rail fares for an 18-mile journey from Manhattan to the Meadowlands in New Jersey, nearly seven times the usual $13 rate.

Amid any frustration, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has steered talk toward the $871 million slated for participating sides this summer, with a minimum $12.5 million guaranteed per nation simply for reaching the finals. For smaller federations such as Haiti, Curacao or Cape Verde, these sums represent major support, potentially sustaining youth programs for years.

Further, FIFA forecasts a record nearly $14 billion four-year budget, much of it, Infantino notes, funneled into global soccer efforts. He has anchored his tenure on channeling greater resources to federations of every scale, a stance that aligns with FIFA's one-nation, one-vote setup and has helped sustain his leadership. The men's World Cup's success underpins this model.

Thus the recurring question: have we witnessed this pattern before? Has Infantino, who often projects the air of a national leader, courted polarizing figures hosting prior FIFA events? Yes. Not long ago he lauded Vladimir Putin's "professionalism" and declared, "We all fell in love with Russia" at the 2018 World Cup.

Yet has Infantino ever acted with comparable boldness as with U.S. President Donald Trump? Opinions vary, though the swift launch of a FIFA Peace Prize - lacking clear standards or voting rules and awarded by Infantino to Trump in December, roughly three months before U.S. strikes on Iran - may illustrate the point.

"Matters will improve," one event planner remarked lately, "once matches start."

That remains the standard refrain for any vast, intricate gathering such as a World Cup or Olympics. The action prevails. It held true in Qatar, Russia and Brazil earlier, and it will here. On Thursday, when play opens at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the thrill and grace of the world's favorite game will dominate. And it will likely prove gripping.

Lionel Messi guiding the title holders. Cristiano Ronaldo still chasing brilliance. The United States boasting perhaps its strongest roster ever. England aiming to break through at last. Dark horses such as Colombia and Ecuador chasing an upset. Emerging talents such as Spain's Lamine Yamal, bringing flair to the grand stage.

Moments of brilliance await. Goals will follow. Surprises, tension and spectacle lie ahead.

This will stand as the grandest World Cup spectacle ever. In every sense.