Geopolitical bickering instead of unity expected to shape upcoming Winter Olympics

With less than a month to go before the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics open in February 2026, excitement among sports fans is building. Yet alongside the anticipation, many observers expect a cloud of geopolitical tension to hang over the Games, threatening the International Olympic Committee’s long-held ambition of using sport to unite a divided world.

Recent memorable speeches by world leaders at January’s World Economic Forum in Davos underscored how fractured the global political landscape has become, particularly amid a widening transatlantic rift. Against that backdrop, analysts warn that the Winter Olympics may not soften political conflict but instead magnify it — a risk highlighted in a recent article by The Conversation.

A series of geopolitical flashpoints has already begun to shape the narrative around the Games. Tensions linked to US foreign policy, including Washington’s actions in Venezuela, President Donald Trump’s stated desire to annex Greenland and Canada, and ongoing trade disputes with traditional allies, have raised the stakes well beyond sport.

Strained relations between the US and the European Union, as well as between Washington and Ottawa, could easily spill into Olympic arenas, providing fertile ground for nationalist rhetoric. Ice hockey, in particular, is expected to become a focal point. The so-called 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, won by Canada last year, demonstrated how quickly sporting contests can inflame national sentiment during periods of political tension.

Any Olympic hockey matchup between Canada and the United States is likely to resonate deeply on both sides of the border. Denmark and the US are also drawn together in the men’s ice hockey group stage, guaranteeing a round-robin clash. Given Trump’s rhetoric about Greenland — an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark — such a game could take on outsized symbolic meaning.

History offers a clear precedent, with the article recalling the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, which became a defining Cold War moment when the underdog United States defeated the heavily favoured Soviet Union in what became known as the “Miracle on Ice.” Analysts suggest a US–Denmark encounter in 2026 could similarly be cast as a symbolic confrontation shaped by today’s political tensions.

Beyond hockey, the overall medal table may also become a tool for political messaging. The United States is expected to perform strongly, while traditional winter powerhouses face setbacks. Norway, the most successful nation in Winter Olympics history, is grappling with a major ski-jumping cheating scandal, even as it remains dominant in Nordic and alpine events. Russian athletes, meanwhile, remain barred from competing under their national flag because of the war in Ukraine and may only participate as vetted Individual Neutral Athletes.

According to The Conversation, Trump is likely to seize on any strong American showing to promote a narrative of national strength, particularly in contrast to European Union countries and Canada.

During his second term, he has repeatedly linked sporting success to geopolitical influence, welcoming athletes to the White House and commenting publicly on international competitions, even when the US did not prevail.

A successful Winter Olympics could therefore offer valuable political capital at a sensitive moment. Amid tensions over Venezuela and Greenland, and as some major football nations and EU powerbrokers — including France and Germany — tentatively reconsider their participation in the 2026 Men’s World Cup, largely hosted by the US, the Milan–Cortina Games may serve as an early testing ground.

Rather than standing apart from global politics, the 2026 Winter Olympics appear set to reflect and possibly intensify them — delivering a schedule of sporting matchups that could advance nationalist agendas not only in Washington, but also in Ottawa and capitals across Europe.

By Nazrin Sadigova