“And to see the European Union visibly present for the first time was tremendous,” Micallef added. The EU’s circle of stars was flown at the Games alongside the Olympic flag for the first time last year. With the upcoming Summer Olympics to be held in Los Angeles in 2028, followed by Brisbane in 2032, the earliest Europe could host the Summer Games is 2036 — though Milan will host the Winter Games in 2026. London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan told The Times in an interview published Monday that he wanted the British capital to be “the sporting capital of the world” and would be keen to explore a bid to host the Games in 2040. London last staged the Olympics in 2012, meaning it already has the necessary infrastructure and could be “the greenest Games ever,” Khan added. It’s unlikely that the International Olympic Committee, which organizes Olympic events, would be in favor of Europe hosting two consecutive Olympic Games, however. Meanwhile, incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also committed to supporting a bid to bring the Olympics back to Germany, according to Volker Bouffier, the former minister-president of Hessen who now serves on the board of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, or DOSB.