Published : 06 Sep 2026, 07:05 PM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:48 AM
Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic has been crowned Miss World 2026 at the pageant’s grand finale in Vietnam.
Reigning Miss World Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand crowned her successor at the event in Nha Trang on Saturday.
Spain’s Elisabeth Reynes finished as first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty was named second runner-up.
Mola emerged from a final six that also featured Eritrea’s Snit Habteab, Vietnam’s Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc and South Africa’s Romanda Hombir.
During the final, Mola was asked about the social initiative she had supported in her country and how she would develop it if she won the crown.
She spoke about an initiative aimed at bringing English-language programmes to children in vulnerable communities, saying learning the language could open up opportunities and give them a lifelong tool for communication and expression.
Bangladesh’s Samanzar Sayeed Misses Top 40
Bangladesh was represented by Samanzar Sayeed, who was crowned Miss World Bangladesh 2026 in Dhaka in July.
Samanzar did not make the Top 40 at Saturday’s final, with 10 contestants from the Asia and Oceania region advancing to that stage.
She had, however, earlier reached the Top 24 globally in the pageant’s “Beauty With a Purpose” segment and the Top 6 from Asia and Oceania.
Her project, “Hygiene for Health Bangladesh”, promotes hygiene education, safe water and sanitation as part of a wider effort to improve preventive healthcare.
The initiative focuses on areas including personal, hand, food, oral, menstrual and environmental hygiene and seeks to involve NGOs, educational institutions, youth groups and volunteers.
Miss World was founded in the United Kingdom in 1951 by Eric Morley and is one of the world’s oldest international beauty pageants.
This year’s competition was held in Nha Trang, Vietnam, as part of the organisation’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
