The coveted Miss World 2026 crown has gone to the Dominican Republic, with Zeoheri Mola emerging as the winner at the grand finale held in the picturesque Vietnamese city of Nha Trang.

The spectacular final took place on Saturday (September 5), where outgoing Miss World Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand placed the winner’s crown on Mola’s head.

After competing against top contestants from around the world, Elizabeth Renes of Spain was named the first runner-up, while Tanushia Shethi of Malaysia secured the second runner-up title.

The grand event, held in Nha Trang in Vietnam’s Khanh Hoa province, brought together contestants from across the globe and showcased beauty, intelligence and commitment to humanitarian causes on an international stage.

Six finalists representing different regions made it to the final round. They were People’s Choice winner Snehith Habteyab of Eritrea; Elizabeth Renes of Spain, representing Europe; Tanushia Shethi of Malaysia, winner of Beauty with a Purpose; Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc of Vietnam, representing Asia and Oceania; Zeoheri Mola of the Dominican Republic, representing the Americas and Caribbean; and Romanda Hombir of South Africa, representing Africa.

Founded in the United Kingdom in 1951 by renowned organizer Eric Morley, the Miss World pageant is recognized as the world’s oldest international beauty competition. The selection process goes beyond physical appearance, incorporating preliminary challenges, private personality interviews and assessments of contestants’ presence of mind and general knowledge during the live stage competition.

A total of 111 contestants participated in this year’s pageant. They were divided into four continental regions: Africa, the Americas and Caribbean, Europe, and Asia and Oceania.

Based on their performances in various preliminary challenges, the selection committee initially shortlisted the Top 40 contestants for the quarterfinals. The field was then narrowed to the Top 20, followed by the Top 12, before six finalists were selected for the final battle. The winner and runners-up were subsequently announced from among the six finalists.

This year’s competition also featured several firsts. Contestants from French Guiana, Eritrea, Mozambique, Pakistan and the Maldives made their debut on the Miss World stage.

Meanwhile, Samantha Quenedith of Ecuador, Monica Harutyunjan of Armenia and Nadiratu Afolabi of Togo withdrew from the competition at the last moment due to personal and technical reasons.

Following the successful conclusion of this year’s global beauty extravaganza, the host country for the next edition was announced. The 74th edition of Miss World will be held in Tanzania, an East African nation.