Zlatan Ibrahimović set to bear Olympic flame during 2026 Games
Zlatan Ibrahimović (photo: Getty Images)
Former world-class Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimović has joined the list of torchbearers for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, according to the official 2026 Games account on X (Twitter).
Star-studded roster of torchbearers
Ibrahimović, who now serves as a senior adviser to RedBird (the owners of AC Milan), will be among those carrying the Olympic flame across Italy.
THE FOOTBALL LEGEND WILL CARRY THE OLYMPIC TORCH @Ibra_official is officially a Torchbearer for Milano Cortina 2026!#MilanoCortina2026 #Olympics #TeamTedofori #TorchRelay2026 #Zlatan #Ibrahimovic #2dicembre pic.twitter.com/hpM2UhlhOM
— Milano Cortina 2026 (@milanocortina26) December 2, 2025
Among the other footballers taking part in the event are:
- Ciro Ferrara, a former defender of the Italian national team and participant in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul
- Alisha Lehmann, a player for the Como women's team
- Andrea Soncin, a head coach of the Italian women's national team
Details and route of the relay
The torch relay for the 2026 Games began in late November in Olympia. After travelling through Greek cities, the flame will arrive in Athens on December 4, where an official handover ceremony to the Italian side will take place.
The Italian stage of the relay will start on December 6 in Rome and will pass through 60 localities across the country. The route will conclude in Milan on February 5, 2026, on the eve of the opening ceremony.
The Olympics and the football calendar
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games is scheduled for February 6 at Milan's Giuseppe Meazza Stadium (San Siro).
Because the stadium will be involved in the festivities, the Serie A match between AC Milan and Como will have to be rescheduled.
According to preliminary information from Football Italia, one option under consideration is holding the match outside Italy, in the Australian city of Perth.
The 44-year-old former Swedish footballer is considered one of the greatest forwards of the modern era. His career included spells at Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, PSG, Manchester United, LA Galaxy, and AC Milan.
At the club level, Ibrahimović won 34 titles. He is also the all-time leading scorer for the Swedish national team.
Earlier, we reported five interesting facts about the medals of the 2026 Olympics.
We also wrote that NHL players will compete in the Olympics for the first time in 12 years.
