Mediterranean Games to bring together athletes from 26 countries for 20th edition

• About 5,000 athletes expected to compete in 32 sports in Taranto
• Padel to make Games debut, while 3x3 basketball offers ranking points toward LA 2028 Olympic qualification

The Mediterranean Games, a multi-sport event bringing together athletes from countries across the Mediterranean region, will hold its 20th edition in the Italian city of Taranto, 75 years after the inaugural Games were staged in Alexandria, Egypt.

The 2026 Mediterranean Games will run from Aug. 21 to Sept. 3, with about 5,000 athletes from 26 countries expected to compete across 32 sports.

Held every four years, the event brings together countries from Europe, Africa and Asia and features a mix of Olympic sports and disciplines popular across the Mediterranean region.

How Games began

The idea for the Mediterranean Games was proposed during the 1948 London Olympics by Egyptian National Olympic Committee President and International Olympic Committee Vice President Muhammad Taher Pasha.

The first Games were held in Alexandria in 1951, with 734 athletes from 10 countries taking part.

The event later expanded to include more countries and sports, with editions held in Barcelona, Spain, in 1955; Beirut, Lebanon, in 1959; Naples, Italy, in 1963; Tunis, Tunisia, in 1967; Izmir, Türkiye, in 1971; Algiers, Algeria, in 1975; Split, Yugoslavia, in 1979; Casablanca, Morocco, in 1983; Latakia, Syria, in 1987; Athens, Greece, in 1991; the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France in 1993; Bari, Italy, in 1997; Tunis in 2001; Almeria, Spain, in 2005; Pescara, Italy, in 2009; Mersin, Türkiye, in 2013; and Tarragona, Spain, in 2018.

The 19th edition was held in Oran, Algeria, in 2022 after being postponed for a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG) was established in 1961 to oversee and strengthen the organization of the event.

Women first competed in 1967

Women were first allowed to compete at the Mediterranean Games in 1967, when Tunisia hosted the fourth edition.

A total of 38 women took part in the Games that year.

Türkiye hosted the event for the first time in Izmir in 1971, with 1,362 athletes from 14 countries participating.

It hosted the Games for a second time in Mersin in 2013, when more than 3,000 athletes from 24 countries competed.

What to expect in Taranto

The 2026 Games will feature established Olympic sports including athletics, swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, wrestling, weightlifting, judo, fencing, football, tennis, archery and cycling.

The program will also include 3x3 basketball, padel, skateboarding, roller sports and finswimming.

Padel, a racket sport combining elements of tennis and squash, will make its Mediterranean Games debut, with competitors vying for medals in men’s, women’s and mixed doubles.

The 3x3 basketball competition will also carry added significance for athletes targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as the tournament will award points toward the FIBA ranking used in the Olympic qualification process.

Baseball5, frisbee and kickboxing will be featured as demonstration sports.

Italy to host for 4th time

Italy will host the Mediterranean Games for the fourth time, following previous editions in Naples in 1963, Bari in 1997 and Pescara in 2009.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 21 at Iacovone Stadium in Taranto, with competitions beginning the following day.

The Games will conclude with a closing ceremony on Sept. 3.

The Taranto edition will mark the 20th gathering of athletes from Mediterranean nations since the event began in Alexandria 75 years ago.