Yoheri Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic has won the crown of the 73rd Miss World 2026. The judges awarded her this top honor in recognition of her beauty, intelligence, and dedication to social causes. Last year’s winner, Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand, crowned Yoheri at the event. In the international pageant, Elizabeth Reynes of Spain finished as first runner-up, while Tanusia Chetty of Malaysia secured the second runner-up position.
The Miss World pageant places importance not just on outward beauty but also on contestants’ social outlook. In this segment, the details Yoheri Mola shared about her social work greatly impressed the judges. She explained that her primary goal is teaching English to children from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds, stating that in today’s world, English opens many doors of opportunity for children’s futures, and that education gives children both the ability to express their thoughts and the confidence to achieve their goals.
The Miss World organization praised Yoheri as a dedicated educator and social activist. She completed her degree in Business Management and Administration from Universidad Iberoamericana. After completing her studies, she founded an organization called “Voices of Tomorrow,” through which she began providing free English education to underprivileged children and youth, teaching not just the language but also English literature and social sciences to build critical thinking skills among children. Representing India in the pageant was Nikita Porwal, winner of Femina Miss India World 2024. Nikita, from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, made it into the Top 40 but could not advance to the Top 20. Nikita Porwal has considerable experience in the arts — she began her career as a TV anchor before moving into theatre, acting in more than 60 plays, and has also authored a 250-page play titled “Krishna Leela.”
The world’s oldest beauty pageant began in 1951. The competition was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, while the 2026 edition is numerically the 73rd competition, the Miss World organization celebrated its 75th anniversary in grand style, marking 75 years since its founding.
Next year’s Miss World pageant will be hosted by Tanzania, on the African continent. Meanwhile, at the Miss Universe pageant to be held in Puerto Rico in November, 19-year-old law student Kaziah Liz Mejo will compete on behalf of India. She won the “Miss Universe India” title on August 25, 2026.