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:
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.
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.
Benin, Guinea-Bissau and the United Arab Emirates will make their Winter Olympics debuts at the Milan Cortina Games.
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.
Below are the 92 National Olympic Committees that will be heading to the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics:
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