The FIFA Fan Festival has welcomed more than two million visitors across North America during the opening phase of the FIFA World Cup 2026, underlining the tournament’s growing popularity and festive atmosphere beyond the stadiums.

According to FIFA, the milestone was reached after the first 24 matches of the competition, with 1,992,302 visitors recorded across the 13 Host Cities before crowds pushed attendance beyond the two-million mark on Thursday.

Fan Festival venues have become major gathering points for supporters eager to watch matches on giant screens while enjoying live entertainment, cultural activities and local cuisine.

Mexico’s host cities have attracted the largest crowds so far. Mexico City’s iconic Zócalo has welcomed more than 527,000 visitors, while Monterrey and Guadalajara have drawn approximately 245,000 and 218,000 fans respectively. Venues across Canada and the United States have also reported strong attendance, with many operating at full capacity throughout the tournament’s opening week.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised the success of the initiative, describing the FIFA Fan Festival as a key part of the tournament experience. He said the goal was to create spaces where local residents and visiting supporters could come together to celebrate football, enjoy entertainment and experience the culture of the host nations.

The tournament’s opening days saw large crowds gather across North America. Thousands of fans packed Mexico City’s Zócalo on the opening day to watch co-host Mexico begin its World Cup campaign with a victory, while similar scenes unfolded in Monterrey and Guadalajara.

The excitement followed special Countdown Concert events held in Mexico City, Los Angeles and Toronto, featuring performances by artists including Bryan Adams, The Beaches, Nora Fatehi, Vegedream, AHI and Wyclef Jean.

As Canada and the United States opened their World Cup campaigns with positive results, Fan Festival venues across both countries quickly filled to capacity.

Since then, host cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Philadelphia and Vancouver have staged packed events featuring music, cultural showcases and football celebrations.

High-profile performances from artists such as Luis Fonsi, Pitbull, Jessie Reyez and Summer Walker have helped attract large audiences, while FIFA has announced an extensive programme of entertainment for the remainder of the tournament.

Upcoming performances are expected from Ludacris, Killer Mike, CeeLo Green, Davido, Mötley Crüe, The All-American Rejects, Flo Rida, Ashanti, Ja Rule and The Chainsmokers.

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 set to continue until 19 July, organisers expect millions more supporters to visit the FIFA Fan Festival venues, making them a central part of the tournament’s celebration across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Kazancı, who used the aliases Abu Ubeyde and Abu Ibrahim, reportedly became radicalized in Konya before leaving Turkey. In testimony to Turkish authorities, he said he was not assigned to combat duties and instead volunteered to work in a media office that produced Turkish-language propaganda materials for ISIS-K.

The report identifies Balochistan as a key area of ISIS-K activity. Areas including Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Bolan and Sibi have been mentioned news reports in connection with ISIS-K camps and infrastructure.

According to Kısa Dalga, Kazancı stated that he prepared Turkish-language posters and propaganda content while working in a media unit located in the mountainous regions of Balochistan.

The report also highlights the case of Özgür Altun, known as Abu Yasir al-Turki, who was arrested last year in a joint operation conducted by Turkish and Pakistani intelligence agencies near the Durand Line. Security sources cited by the publication described Altun as a key figure involved in ISIS-K’s Turkish-language propaganda efforts, recruitment activities and the facilitation of travel routes into the region.

Kazancı told investigators that he never met Altun in person and communicated only through the messaging application Telegram.

According to his testimony, Kazancı eventually decided to leave the organization after struggling to adapt to life in the region. He told investigators that he missed his family and planned to return to Turkey through Iran.

The report states that Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) tracked Kazancı while he was moving through the mountainous areas of Balochistan and later transferred him to Turkey, where he was arrested and imprisoned following court proceedings.

Former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has questioned Pakistan’s assertion that diplomatic efforts with Afghanistan have failed, urging Pakistani lawmakers to seek greater transparency from their government regarding negotiations with Kabul.

In a statement posted on social media, Khalilzad referred to a recent session of Pakistan’s National Assembly in which several lawmakers highlighted the costs and risks associated with Islamabad’s reliance on force rather than diplomacy to address its disputes with Afghanistan.

The core disagreement between the two countries centers on mutual security allegations. Pakistan maintains that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out numerous attacks inside the country, enjoys sanctuary and support in Afghanistan. Afghan authorities, meanwhile, accuse Pakistan of providing refuge and support to Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) and other groups hostile to Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, recently argued that diplomatic engagement with the Islamic Emirate had failed because Kabul had not provided sufficient assurances and commitments regarding Pakistan’s security concerns. However, according to Khalilzad, the minister did not specify what commitments Pakistan had requested or why Afghanistan’s responses were considered inadequate.

Khalilzad said he sought clarification from Afghan officials regarding negotiations between the two countries. According to those officials, Afghanistan has offered to provide written security guarantees while requesting reciprocal commitments from Pakistan. They also said Kabul has worked through bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), to address security issues and has accepted the principle of third-party participation in verification mechanisms.

Afghan officials further stated that the Islamic Emirate has issued a religious decree prohibiting Afghan citizens from participating in attacks inside Pakistan, relocated Pakistani refugees who had been settled near the Durand Line during Afghanistan’s previous government, and participated in both official and semi-official dialogues mediated by various countries.

They also claimed that Afghan authorities have taken verifiable action against individuals and groups that violated Afghanistan’s policy of preventing the use of its territory against other nations.

Khalilzad argued that Pakistani lawmakers who favor diplomacy should press their government to pursue an agreement under which neither Afghanistan nor Pakistan would permit their territory to be used by groups or individuals to threaten the other’s security.

“If accurately described in the points above, Afghanistan seems ready for a serious solution,” Khalilzad said. He questioned why Pakistan continues to insist that diplomacy has failed and called on Islamabad to explain its specific objections to Afghanistan’s proposals.

“The Pakistani people and Parliament have the right to know,” he added.