the lineup

Miss Universe 2025: The 119 confirmed contestants and missing countries


Every name on the list represents a country, a culture, and a personal story


© Miss Universe
Shirley GomezSenior Writer
OCTOBER 17, 2025 11:21 AM EDT

The world’s most celebrated beauty stage is heading back to Thailand! Miss Universe 2025, the 74th edition of the iconic pageant, will be held on November 21, 2025, at the Impact Challenger Hall in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi. Reigning Queen Victoria Theilvig of Denmark will pass on her crown in what promises to be a night of elegance, empowerment, and evolution.

Thailand was officially announced as the host after beating out bids from Argentina, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Morocco, India, South Africa, and Spain. This will be Thailand’s fourth time hosting Miss Universe, and the third time the event will be held at Impact Challenger Hall — a venue that previously staged the competition in 2005 and 2018.

© Miss Universe
Reigning Queen Victoria Theilvig of Denmark will pass on her crown in what promises to be a night of elegance, empowerment, and evolution.

Beyond the main event in Nonthaburi, special activities and side events will light up Phuket and Pattaya, turning the entire nation into a week-long celebration of culture and beauty.

A New Era of Beauty

Miss Universe 2025 continues to redefine what it means to be a beauty queen. Gone are the days when only single women under 28 could compete. The pageant now embraces women of all ages, backgrounds, and life stories, including mothers, wives, and professionals. This year, the lineup reflects that spirit of inclusivity and change.

In 2025, Miss Universe Latina, Mayotte, Niger, and Palestine will join the competition for the first time. After years away, Iraq, Slovenia, Sweden, Ghana, Haiti, Kosovo, and Panama are back on the Miss Universe stage. Sadly, Iran withdrew.

© Miss Universe
© Miss Universe

Replacements and Surprises

Pageantry always comes with plot twists, and Miss Universe 2025 is no exception. Déborah Djema from Congo was dethroned after refusing to sign a required contract; Dorcas Dienda has taken her place.

Sihlé Letren of Trinidad & Tobago stepped down for personal reasons, replaced by Latifah Morris. Poland's queen, Oliwia Mikulska, withdrew, with a new delegate to be announced soon. China's Xuhe Hou, the 2024 titleholder, withdrew; Zhao Na now represents the nation.

Meet the Women of the Universe

As of October 17, 2025, more than 119 contestants have been confirmed. Each one brings her fire, ambition, and cause to the competition.

A few standouts to watch:

  • Olivia Yacé (Côte d’Ivoire) – a fan favorite returning after her viral success in 2021.
  • Ahtisa Manalo (Philippines) – a seasoned pageant veteran with strong advocacy for education and youth empowerment.
  • Ève Gilles (France) – a dynamic contestant known for her short hair and advocacy for self-acceptance.
  • Gabriela Lacerda (Brazil) – an environmental advocate passionate about Amazon conservation.
  • Praveenar Singh (Thailand) – the host country’s hope, representing Thai-Indian heritage and community development initiatives.

Meanwhile, Haiti and the United States are still finalizing their national queens, set to crown them later in October.

The Judging Panel

The Miss Universe 2025 selection committee includes a mix of artists, entrepreneurs, and former beauty queens:

  1. Omar Harfouch – Lebanese-French composer and entrepreneur
  2. Romero Britto – Brazilian artist and sculptor
  3. Andrea Meza – Miss Universe 2020 from Mexico
  4. Sharon Fonseca – Venezuelan model, actress, and entrepreneur

The Miss Universe Organization continues its evolution from beauty-focused to impact-driven, making advocacy as important as aesthetics.

© Miss Universe
Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Theilvig of Denmark

With Thailand’s warm hospitality, a record-breaking roster of participants, and a shared message of unity through diversity, this year’s edition promises to be one of the most memorable yet.

All eyes now turn to November 21, when one woman will be crowned not just Miss Universe, but a symbol of modern empowerment.

© Miss Universe
© Miss Universe
© Miss Universe
© Miss Universe

Miss Universe 2025 – Confirmed Contestants

  1. Albania – Flavia Harizaj
  2. Angola – Maria Cunha
  3. Argentina – Aldana Masset
  4. Armenia – Peggy Garabekian
  5. Aruba – Hannah Arends
  6. Australia – Lexie Brant
  7. Bahamas – Maliqué Bowe
  8. Bangladesh – Tangia Methila
  9. Belarus – Alena Kucheruk
  10. Belgium – Karen Jansen
  11. Belize – Isabella Zabaneh
  12. Bolivia – Yessica Hausermann
  13. Bonaire – Nicole Peiliker
  14. Botswana – Lillian Andries
  15. Brazil – Gabriela Lacerda
  16. British Virgin Islands – Olivia Freeman
  17. Bulgaria – Gaby Guha
  18. Cambodia – Nearysocheata Thai
  19. Cameroon – Josiane Golonga
  20. Canada – Jaime VandenBerg
  21. Cayman Islands – Tahiti Seymour
  22. Chile – Inna Moll
  23. China – Zhao Na
  24. Colombia – Vanessa Pulgarín
  25. Costa Rica – Mahyla Roth
  26. Côte d'Ivoire – Olivia Yacé
  27. Croatia – Laura Gnjatović
  28. Cuba – Lina Luaces
  29. Curaçao – Camille Thomas
  30. Czech Republic – Michaela Tomanová
  31. DR Congo – Dorcas Dienda
  32. Denmark – Monique Sonne
  33. Dominican Republic – Jennifer Ventura
  34. Ecuador – Nadia Mejía
  35. Egypt – Sabrina Maged
  36. El Salvador – Giulia Zanoni
  37. Equatorial Guinea – Carmen Obama
  38. Estonia – Brigitta Schaback
  39. Finland – Sarah Dzafce
  40. France – Ève Gilles
  41. Germany – Diana Fast
  42. Ghana – Andromeda Peters
  43. Great Britain – Danielle Latimer
  44. Greece – Mary Chatzipavlou
  45. Guadeloupe – Ophély Mézino
  46. Guatemala – Raschel Paz
  47. Guinea – Tiguidanké Bérété
  48. Guyana – Chandini Baljor
  49. Honduras – Alejandra Fuentes
  50. Hong Kong – Lizzie Li
  51. Hungary – Kincső Dezsényi
  52. Iceland – Helena O'Connor
  53. India – Manika Vishwakarma
  54. Indonesia – Sanly Liu
  55. Iraq – Hanin Al Qoreishy
  56. Ireland – Aadya Srivastava
  57. Israel – Melanie Shiraz
  58. Italy – Lucilla Nori
  59. Jamaica – Gabrielle Henry
  60. Japan – Kaori Hashimoto
  61. Kazakhstan – Dana Almassova
  62. Kosovo – Dorea Shala
  63. Kyrgyzstan – Mary Kuvakova
  64. Laos – Lattana Munvilay
  65. Miss Latina – Yamilex Hernández
  66. Latvia – Meldra Rosenberg
  67. Lebanon – Sarah Bou Jaoude
  68. Macau – Kris Fong
  69. Malaysia – Chloe Lim
  70. Malta – Julia Cluett
  71. Martinique – Célya Abatucci
  72. Mauritius – Aurélie Alcindor
  73. Mayotte – Nourya Aboutoihi
  74. Mexico – Fátima Bosch
  75. Moldova – Mariana Ignat
  76. Myanmar – Myat Yadanar Soe
  77. Namibia – Johanna Swartbooi
  78. Nepal – Sanya Adhikari
  79. Netherlands – Nathalie Mogbelzada
  80. New Zealand – Abbigail Sturgin
  81. Nicaragua – Itza Castillo
  82. Niger – Zoulahatou Amadou
  83. Nigeria – Basil Onyinyechi
  84. Norway – Leonora Lysglimt-Rødland
  85. Pakistan – Roma Riaz
  86. Palestine – Nadeen Ayoub
  87. Panama – Mirna Caballini
  88. Paraguay – Yanina Gómez
  89. Peru – Karla Bacigalupo
  90. Philippines – Ahtisa Manalo
  91. Portugal – Camila Vitorino
  92. Puerto Rico – Zashely Alicea
  93. Romania – Catalina Jacob
  94. Russia – Anastasia Venza
  95. Rwanda – Solange Keita
  96. Saint Lucia – Shianne Smith
  97. Senegal – Camilla Diagne
  98. Singapore – Annika Sager
  99. Slovakia – Viktoria Güllová
  100. Slovenia – Hana Klaut
  101. South Korea – Soo-yeon Lee
  102. Spain – Andrea Valero
  103. Sri Lanka – Lihasha White
  104. Suriname – Chiara Wijntuin
  105. Sweden – Daniella Lundqvist
  106. Switzerland – Naima Acosta
  107. Tanzania – Naisae Yona
  108. Thailand – Praveenar Singh
  109. Trinidad and Tobago – Latifah Morris
  110. Turkey – Ceren Arslan
  111. Turks and Caicos Islands – Bereniece Dickenson
  112. Ukraine – Sofiya Tkachuk
  113. United Arab Emirates – Mariam Mohamed
  114. United States Virgin Islands – Britanny Robinson
  115. Uruguay – Valeria Baladan
  116. Venezuela – Stephany Abasali
  117. Vietnam – Hương Giang Nguyễn
  118. Zambia – Kunda Mwamulima
  119. Zimbabwe – Lyshanda Moyas

Yet to be announced:

  • Haiti – will crown on October 18, 2025
  • United States – will crown on October 24, 2025

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