The Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games begin today. This global event will bring to Italy 3,500 athletes from more than 90 countries, competing in 304 events, and will attract an estimated worldwide audience of three billion people. Today, in Italy, 50 heads of state and government from around the world will attend the opening ceremony.
It is clear that Milan–Cortina 2026 will not be only about sport: above all, it will be about development, innovation, and a vision for the future. With an estimated economic impact of €5.3 billion, the Games will leave a legacy of infrastructure and territorial growth, but they will also, once again, be a powerful soft-power tool that will strengthen Italy’s international standing for years to come.
For the first time in history, the Games become “diffuse”: two iconic cities, Milan and Cortina, and an entire set of territories—Lombardy, Veneto, and Trentino–Alto Adige—united by a sustainable and inclusive vision. And this is the first “political” signal.
The Winter Games generate effects that go far beyond the sporting dimension, influencing infrastructure, territorial development, productive sectors, and our country’s international positioning.
The Games’ organizational system involves around 18,000 volunteers as well as a dedicated diplomatic task force bringing together young officials, institutions, and local communities. This commitment confirms Italy’s ability to successfully host major global events, as we have seen with the Jubilee, which has just concluded.
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, we have accompanied the arrival of the Games with an integrated strategy launched two years ago with the creation of the “Office for Sports Diplomacy,” and developed through an international roadshow in Europe, North America, and Asia, involving athletes, media, and businesses.
The goal was twofold: to showcase the territories and communities involved and to strengthen Italy’s image as an innovative, sustainable, and welcoming country. The Games have been at the heart of many initiatives, notably at Expo Osaka 2025, in business forums abroad, and during Italy’s Day of Sport around the world.
That is why Italy has chosen to invest decisively in sports diplomacy, making it a structural component of its international action.
But the Olympic Games also embody values such as fair and peaceful competition among young people from all over the world; they have always been universal symbols of peace, respect, and inclusion. In an international context marked by conflict, sport remains a credible space for dialogue. The Olympic Games were born for peace.
Italy acted on this by facilitating the adoption of the UN resolution on the Olympic Truce, supported by the Holy Father and the President of the Republic: a concrete appeal for sport to silence the guns.
In the last year alone, more than 233,000 people have been killed by armed violence, forcing more than 123 million people to flee. Italy continues to play a leading diplomatic and humanitarian role, working for peace in Ukraine and Gaza, without overlooking less visible conflicts such as Sudan, where millions have been driven from their homes. Through humanitarian initiatives such as Food for Gaza and Italy for Sudan, our country is on the front line in protecting civilian populations—especially children, who are among those most affected by the consequences of war.
That is why Milan–Cortina 2026 represents a unique opportunity to reaffirm who we are and what we believe in. Through these Games, we want to show the entire world that Italy is a builder of peace, growth, and international cooperation. Our “Games of Peace” will be a commitment we all share.
Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic
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