Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Christian Pulisic Ignite Olympic Fever in Stunning 2026 Games Commercial Before Prestigious Award
AC Milan icon Zlatan Ibrahimović appeared in a promotional video for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics with U.S. national team standout Christian Pulisic, prior to his role as a torchbearer in the Olympic flame relay.
The most prominent American player in AC Milan history and one of the club's all-time greats took center stage in the promotional material showcasing the Italian city's readiness to host the upcoming Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
"Milan speaks for itself, Milan is excellence," Ibrahimović declares at the video's start, which then showcases the city's distinctive characteristics, emphasizing its cultural heritage, culinary traditions, and fashion scene.
Pulisic appears shortly thereafter, enjoying an espresso, while providing a quick lesson on Italian coffee etiquette: "In this place, espresso is essential," he noted. "But keep in mind, cappuccino past 11 a.m.? Absolutely not."
Welcome to Milan, welcome to our home. Welcome to the #MilanoCortina2026 Olympics ⛷️❄️@milanocortina26 pic.twitter.com/zbAteaRdbL
San Siro, the shared stadium of AC Milan and Inter Milan, is scheduled to stage the Olympic opening ceremony, launching Italy's first Olympics since the 2006 Games took place in the neighboring city of Turin.
Nevertheless, the renowned Italian venue won't accommodate any additional Olympic competitions; rather, it will stage a much-awaited Inter Milan versus Juventus match on Feb. 15, while Olympic competitions occur throughout the city and at various venues, including the alpine destination of Cortina d'Ampezzo and Trivigno.
Milan will welcome the National Hockey League's comeback to Olympic men's hockey competition for the first time since Sochi 2014, along with figure skating, speed skating and short track speed skating events, before the closing ceremony occurs at the historic Verona Arena.
Ibrahimović Among Stars With Olympic Flame
Ibrahimović Among Stars With Olympic Flame
THE FOOTBALL LEGEND WILL CARRY THE OLYMPIC TORCH ⚽️@Ibra_official is officially a Torchbearer for Milano Cortina 2026!#MilanoCortina2026 #Olympics #TeamTedofori #TorchRelay2026 #Zlatan #Ibrahimovic #2dicembre pic.twitter.com/hpM2UhlhOM
Prior to the Olympic flame entering San Siro for the lighting of the Olympic cauldron, hundreds of torchbearers will have transported it throughout Greece and Italy in preparation for the Games.
Ibrahimović ranks among the distinguished torch carriers and joins several elite soccer players in this role, including former MLS personalities Giorgio Chiellini and Marco Di Vaio, plus Robert Pires, Filippo Inzaghi, Fabio Cannavaro, Cesc Fàbregas, Alisha Lehmann and numerous others.
The possibility also exists that another athletic celebrity could ignite the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony, considering the recent tradition of athletes participating in this moment, such as Zinedine Zidane passing the flame to Rafael Nadal at Paris 2024, while Wayne Gretzky, Naomi Osaka and Michel Platini all received this distinction at past Olympics.