Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic has been crowned Miss World 2026, taking the title at the 73rd edition of the global pageant in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on Saturday.
The 24-year-old educator and community advocate emerged from a field of 111 contestants to claim the crown, succeeding Thailand’s Opal Suchata Chuangsri.
Spain’s Elisabeth Reynés was named first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty finished second runner-up.
Mola’s victory gives the Dominican Republic its second Miss World title, 44 years after Mariasela Álvarez won the crown in 1982.
Africa makes strong showing
Africa featured prominently in the final stages, with South Africa’s Romanda Hombir and Eritrea’s Snit Tewoldemedhin advancing to the final six alongside Mola, Reynés, Chetty and host nation Vietnam’s Lê Nguyễn Bảo Ngọc.
Tewoldemedhin earned her place through strong public support in the People’s Choice vote, while Chetty advanced through her Beauty With a Purpose project.
The African presence in the final six gave the continent a strong voice in a competition increasingly built around advocacy and social impact rather than pageantry alone.
From classroom to global stage
Mola holds a degree in Business Management and Administration from Universidad Iberoamericana in Santo Domingo and works as a teacher.
She is also the founder of Voices of Tomorrow, an initiative supporting children and young people in vulnerable communities through education and skills development.
Her advocacy became a central part of her Miss World campaign.
Asked during the final how she would expand her Beauty With a Purpose work, Mola spoke about English-language education for children in vulnerable communities, arguing that the skill can open doors to education, employment and wider opportunities.
Her answer linked the crown to the work she had already begun before entering the competition.
That distinction is increasingly important for Miss World, whose “Beauty With a Purpose” platform seeks to place social causes alongside the traditional pageant focus on appearance.
Vietnam hosts Miss World for first time
The 2026 competition formed part of Miss World’s 75th-anniversary celebrations and brought contestants together in Vietnam for a four-week programme of cultural activities, charity initiatives and pageant challenges.
The Nha Trang final marked the culmination of the celebrations and another chapter for an institution that began in 1951.
For the Dominican Republic, the night marked a return to the Miss World summit after more than four decades.
For Africa, the strong showing by South Africa and Eritrea underlined the continent’s growing presence in the competition.
And for Mola, the crown now turns a campaign built around education and community service into an international platform.