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Argentina’s Miss World 2026 contestant turns heads with Leo Messi tribute dress

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Alina Luz Akselrad represented Argentina at the Miss World 2026 nations parade in Vietnam wearing a dress inspired by Lionel Messi.
  • The outfit used Argentina’s national colors and images depicting Messi from childhood through his career.
  • Akselrad reached the competition’s top 20 and ranked among the top five contestants from the Americas.

Argentina’s representative at Miss World 2026 brought Lionel Messi to the pageant stage. During the traditional parade of nations in Vietnam, Alina Luz Akselrad appeared in a dress dedicated to the football star and quickly became a subject of discussion on social media.

The design combined Argentina’s blue and white colors with images of Messi at different stages of his life, from childhood to his rise as a global football figure. Its designer, Aurelio Martínez, celebrated the result online: “What an emotion to see this dress I made with so much love for you come to life. Thank you, @alinaakselrad, for trusting my work and allowing me to be part of this very special moment. Congratulations and all the success in the world, queen! May you shine brighter than ever today.”

Akselrad’s charisma, preparation and experience helped her reach the competition’s top 20. She also finished among the top five representatives from the Americas.

The football tribute followed a familiar theme in her pageant appearances. In 2021, during Miss Universe, she presented an outfit honoring Diego Armando Maradona, another major icon of Argentine sport.

What an emotion to see this dress I made with so much love for you come to life. Thank you, @alinaakselrad, for trusting my work and allowing me to be part of this very special moment. Congratulations and all the success in the world, queen! May you shine brighter than ever today.

· Aurelio MartínezThe designer celebrated Akselrad’s Messi-inspired dress in a social media post.
About this summary

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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