Athletes from across the globe are getting ready for their Olympic moment in Milan Cortina.
The 2026 Winter Olympics will begin this week when competitors walk under the wave of their nation’s flags at Friday’s Opening Ceremony. The ceremony not only offers Olympians a chance to represent their country on the international stage, but it also gives viewers a chance to learn of some countries they had never heard of before.
Here’s a guide to how many countries will participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics and which ones are making their debut:
How many countries will be at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
There are 92 National Olympic Committees representing 2,900 athletes at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
Additionally, there will be “Individual Neutral Athletes” (AIN) from Russia and Belarus. Those athletes will compete under the AIN name at the 2026 Winter Games since Russia is facing punishment at the Games due to its involvement in the war with Ukraine.
How many National Olympic Committees are there?
There are 206 National Olympic Committees worldwide, which are devised by the IOC and the International Sport Federation. These two organizations are the sole authorities who come together to recognize NOCs for the official Summer and Winter Games.
What new countries are competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Benin, Guinea-Bissau and the United Arab Emirates will make their Winter Olympics debuts at the Milan Cortina Games.
Are there any countries not returning to the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Seven NOCs that participated at the 2022 Beijing Olympics will not be appearing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics: American Samoa, Belarus, Ghana, Peru, Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), Timor-Leste and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Omega explains how advanced cameras, AI and motion tracking will deliver more accurate judging and deeper insight into athlete performance at the Milan Cortina Games.
Full list of countries participating at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Below are the 92 National Olympic Committees that will be heading to the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Great Britain
- Greece
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Ireland
- Islamic Republic of Iran
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kosovo
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Madagascar
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Pakistan
- People’s Republic of China
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Republic of Korea
- Republic of Moldova
- Romania
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Chinese Taipei
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela
Team USA athletes channel their inner opera stars, lip-syncing a classic Italian aria and bringing a touch of drama to their road to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
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