Mia Dio is leading the Cuban team to San Juan, but the road to the crown will not be easy: more than a dozen Latina queens already have their confirmed tickets for the 75th edition of Miss Universe, which will take place on November 24, 2026 at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico, known as the "diamond edition."
The list of confirmed Latina candidates for Miss Universe 2026 is long, diverse, and filled with stories that go far beyond the runway. Here’s a quick overview of the competitors that Mia Dio will encounter on the island that is already her home.
Tamara Rogouski arrives from Argentina with a remarkable achievement: she is the first mother to win the national title. Her daughter Sophi, she says, is her greatest motivation.
Bolivia sends Valeria Mena, 23 years old, the first representative from Oruro to win the national crown in nearly six decades.
Brazil bets on Marcella Kozinski, a model and entrepreneur from Curitiba who is already familiar with the pageant — she participated in Miss Universe Brazil 2021 — and celebrated her crowning with a phrase that says it all: “Dreams never get old and I am living proof of that.”
Chile sends journalist Dominga López, 23 years old, crowned in Santiago at the beginning of August.
Costa Rica brings María Alejandra Acosta, an Afro-descendant model and television presenter from Alajuela, who competed for the crown in 2024 and returned in 2026 to successfully achieve it.
Ecuador has Dalia Bucaram, who is just 21 years old and the granddaughter of former president Abdalá Bucaram. After being crowned on August 15 in Santa Elena, she declared: "My heart is ready and my preparation will continue."
El Salvador competes with Sofía Córdova, a student of Legal Sciences and Fashion Design who has already represented her country at Miss Cosmo 2024 in Vietnam.
Guatemala perhaps showcases the most impressive academic profile in the group: María Adelina Castillo, a cum laude graduate pediatrician, standing 1.82 meters tall and fluent in three languages.
Paraguay arrives with Gretha Matiauda, a model with runways in Milan, Paris, and New York, an urban music singer, and an economist, who in her coronation speech advocated for the women of her country: "We are the daughters of the residents who built an entire nation."
Peru has Luren Márquez, who experienced a telenovela-like episode: the Miss Perú organization stripped her of her crown on August 13 without providing public explanations. She apologized and regained it days later with a direct message: "See you in Puerto Rico."
Melissa Núñez represents the Dominican Republic with a profile that blends psychology, fashion, and entrepreneurship, having already walked the runway for Moschino and Michael Kors.
Uruguay sends Lucía Piñeyro and Venezuela sends Clara Vegas, who is 24 years old.
And as if that weren’t enough, Puerto Rico competes at home with Jennifer Barreto from San Sebastián, making the host island one of the most exciting bets of the night.
In total, the competition expects to gather around 130 participants from all over the world. The crown that all of them are after is currently held by the Mexican Fátima Bosch, who won in Thailand in November 2025 and will pass it on in Puerto Rico on November 24.
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