To carry the flame is to carry a dream, and to pass it on is to pass on its energy

On the eve of the official opening ceremony, Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, former Secretary General of FIFA, took part in the final escort of the Olympic Flame relayers, alongside Khaby Lame, Omar Sy, Modou Lô and other leading figures. This closing stage, carried out in a festive atmosphere in Dakar, brought together athletes, artists and citizens around a single symbol: that of an African youth preparing to welcome the world.

Having set off from Athens, the Flame travelled across Senegal for 47 days, from Dakar to Ziguinchor via Thiès, Saint-Louis, Matam, Kaolack, Tambacounda, Kédougou and Kolda, before returning to Dakar. This national relay covered more than 3,650 kilometres and mobilised around 450 relayers, across all 14 regions of the country and more than 30 stages. Each stop was an opportunity for sporting, cultural and educational activities bringing together communities and young people.

A historic moment for Africa

Africa was the only continent never to have hosted an Olympic event. With Dakar 2026, that absence comes to an end. The Youth Olympic Games mark a first for the continent, and Senegal is the host country. This edition opens a new chapter in the history of the Olympic movement, carried by Africa's youth and by the motto of these Games: "Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates". Approximately 2,700 athletes are expected, competing across around twenty disciplines.

A career in the service of global sport

A Senegalese national, Fatma Samoura first built a career of more than twenty years with the United Nations, in humanitarian affairs and development, across several continents. In 2016, she was appointed Secretary General of FIFA, becoming the first woman and the first African to hold the position. Until 2023, she led the management of the federation and the organisation of several FIFA World Cups. She also championed football development programmes, notably in women's football, and the modernisation of sports governance.

Today, she continues her commitment to the service of sport and youth. She is a member of the FIA Senate and serves on several boards, including Seed Project and ACG (African Collaborations Group). Her presence among the final relayers embodies the link between the international experience of a leading figure in world sport and the ambition of a continent taking its full place on the Olympic stage.

"To carry the flame is to carry a dream, and to pass it on is to pass on its energy," said Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura.

The Games Are Under Way

The day after this final relay, the opening ceremony took place on 31 October at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, watched by the President of the Republic Bassirou Diomaye Faye, IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the President of the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee (COJOJ) Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, the sports ministers of all 54 African countries. It kicked off the first Youth Olympic Games ever held on African soil.