Football legend named torchbearer for 2026 Winter Olympic Games
Former football star Zlatan Ibrahimović will be among the torchbearers for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, set to take place in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Qazinform News Agency reports.
He previously played for Italy’s AC Milan, France’s Paris Saint-Germain, and Spain’s FC Barcelona.
Additionally, Alisha Lehmann of the Como women’s team will join the torch relay. Ibrahimović now works within AC Milan’s management structure — the club he represented from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2020 to 2023. His iconic status as one of football’s greats highlights the organizers’ aim to include distinguished athletes with strong ties to the host country in the relay.
The Winter Olympic Games in Italy are scheduled for February 6–22, 2026, with more than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries expected to take part.
On December 4, the Olympic flame handover ceremony will take place at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the Olympic flame for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games was ignited in Ancient Olympia, Greece on November 26.
