Dominican Joheirry Mola wins Miss World 2026 crown in Vietnam

Joheirry Mola, a 24-year-old Dominican teacher and communicator, won the Miss World 2026 crown on Saturday in the Vietnamese coastal city of Nha Trang. She defeated Spain’s Elisabeth Reynés in a five-hour ceremony held in a public square.

Mola was the only one of the 111 contestants to speak in Spanish during the event. Brief rain showers caused delays, forcing attendees to take shelter before the ceremony resumed.

In the final question, Mola argued that schools should teach children English to expand their opportunities to learn and communicate with the wider world. Her path to the final began in the preliminary competitions, held from the second week of August, where she won the runway challenge for the Americas and Caribbean region and secured a place among the 40 semifinalists.

She continued advancing as the field narrowed to 20, 12 and six contestants. The final group also included representatives from Malaysia, South Africa, Vietnam, Eritrea and Spain. Reynés finished second and won the pageant’s European continental title.

Thailand’s Opal Suchata Chuangsri, who won the crown in May 2025 in India, handed it to Mola. Organizers also announced that the 74th edition will be held in Tanzania in September 2027. Miss World divides contestants into four regional groups and ensures equal representation from Asia and Oceania, the Americas and Caribbean, Europe, and Africa among the 40 semifinalists. Unlike Miss Universe, the British-origin competition does not include a swimsuit parade and has increasingly given contestants space to discuss social causes and current affairs.