Love this observation. And also, soccer is barely a second-tier sport in terms of TV ratings. Absolutely fascinating how big this World Cup is in the US.
I genuinely can't stand to watch soccer (it's beyond boring) but I do love the energy that the crowds are bringing. Reminds me of the Olympics.
Something interesting about globalization is Europe has the best club soccer in the world with the most passionate fans but the US is clearly the best country to host the World Cup because of facilities, money, diasporas, etc.