Giuseppe Tornatore, Alessandra Mastronardi, Andrea Soncin and Cristiana Girelli will carry the Olympic Flame

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 proudly announces the new torchbearers who will accompany the Olympic Flame on its symbolic journey toward the Olympic Winter Games. Exactly one month before the Torch Relay begins on November 26 with the lighting of the flame in Olympia, the names of a new group of extraordinary individuals who will carry the torch “Essential” have been revealed. Coming from various fields but united by values of passion, commitment, and inclusion, these new torchbearers further enrich the journey to the Olympic Winter Games, embodying the spirit that drives the entire event.

Two giants of Italian cinema will carry the flame: Giuseppe Tornatore, the Oscar®-winning director and screenwriter, and Alessandra Mastronardi, an actress whose career has crossed cultural boundaries with projects in Italy and abroad. Both are symbols of a creative Italy capable of telling stories that transcend time and space.

The group of torchbearers is further enriched by the contribution of the Italian women’s football team, a pillar of Italian sports that is achieving increasingly ambitious goals. Andrea Soncin, the head coach, and Cristiana Girelli, the team captain, are two key figures in the entire football movement, demonstrating through their commitment and achievements the growth and passion of women’s football.

The Olympic Flame will also carry powerful stories of hope and inclusion. Valentina Placida, a girl who suffers from a rare syndrome and her dad Vincenzo, a marathoner who will run pushing his daughter's stroller, will send a strong message of hope to families facing fragile situations. Alongside her is Chiara Vingione, European and World Champion in basketball with the FISDIR National Team, whose determination has made her a symbol of Paralympic sport and an inspiration to all.

This group of torchbearers represent the true spirit of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026: an event that celebrates not only sport but also the strength of human connections, resilience, and the ability to overcome barriers. The meeting of different worlds – entertainment, sport, culture, and inclusion – is key to building a brighter future, together.

The Torch Relay marks the beginning of a journey that, through the celebration of Olympic and Paralympic values, promises to unite people, cultures, and territories, bringing Italy to the heart of the world.

Olympic Torch Relay

The Olympic Torch Relay will last 63 days, cover 12,000 kilometres and pass through 60 stage cities. It will begin on 26 November 2025 in Olympia, with the traditional lighting of the sacred fire, which will then arrive in Italy, in Rome, on 4 December. Two days later, on 6 December, the Olympic Torch Relay will officially begin.

The Olympic Flame will reach Naples on Christmas Day and celebrate the New Year in Bari. On 26 January 2026, it will return to Cortina d’Ampezzo, exactly 70 years after the Opening Ceremony of the 1956 Olympic Winter Games. It will then conclude its journey in Milan on 6 February 2026, entering the San Siro Olympic Stadium.

The journey is also designed to pay tribute to the extraordinary cultural and historical heritage of Italy, which is indeed the country with the largest number of UNESCO sites worldwide.

Coca-Cola and Eni are the Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay and they will be along during this last stretch before the Milano Cortina 2026 Games kick off.

The Beginning in Greece

The Torch Relay will begin in Greece with the traditional lighting of the Olympic Flame in Olympia on 26 November 2025. On 4 December 2025, the Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony will be held in Athens. On 6 December, the Olympic flame will ignite Rome and the whole country with the start of the journey.

Key Dates

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