Johiri Mola of the Dominican Republic was crowned Miss World 2026 at the end of the international pageant held in Vietnam, ahead of Spain’s Elizabeth Rene Alabern, who won the first runner-up title, and Malaysia’s Tanusia Chet, who finished second.
Mola took the crown from the previous titleholder, Thailand’s Opal Suchata Chuangsri, who made history for her country last year as the first Thai woman to win the Miss World title.
This year’s pageant is the 73rd edition of Miss World, and the pageant celebrates its 75th anniversary since its inception in 1951. Celebrations and events were held for several weeks in a number of Vietnamese cities before the competition ended on September 5.
Johiri Mola, Miss Universe 2026 (Instagram)
Johiri Mola…a beauty queen with an educational message
Mola’s path to the crown was not based on beauty alone, as she stood out during the pageant for her community and educational work, particularly her initiative to provide English language programs for children and youth in the most disadvantaged communities.
In the final round, the contestants were asked about the “Beauty for a Purpose” project that each of them supported in their country and how they would develop it if they won the title.
Mullah’s answer focused on education as a way to open new doors for children. He said his initiative is based on providing English language programs to children in marginalized communities, based on his belief that knowing the language can open doors of opportunity for them.
She added that language was a tool for her and the contestants to express their feelings and get their message across, noting that giving children this tool will benefit them throughout their lives.
Who is Johari Mullah?
Johiri Mola, 24, holds a degree in business administration and management from the Universidad Iberoamericana in the Dominican Republic and works as a literature and social studies teacher in English, in addition to her work as a model and media reporter. She founded and directs the Voices of Tomorrow initiative, which works to expand English-language education for children and youth in disadvantaged communities.
Mola has experience in the media field, having worked as a correspondent for the Univision New York program (Ventana a Quisqueya), where she highlights Dominican culture, social issues and community-related stories.
She has participated in several community initiatives, including visits to orphanages and girls’ homes, as part of her activities related to community service and promoting the values of compassion and human communication.
Mola sums up his life philosophy with the phrase, “The greatest gift you can give is the opportunity you once needed to grow, move forward, and change your life.”
Miss World 2026 Johiri Mola with first runner-up Elizabeth Reynes Alabern of Spain (left) and second runner-up Tanusia Chetti of Malaysia (right)
Johiri Molla… from 40th peak to world crown
The pageant journey began this year with a shortlist of 40 contestants, before the pageant was gradually narrowed down to the top 20, then the top 12, down to the top 6 contestants, before the queen and two runners-up were announced.
In the final stage, Mola beat competitors from Malaysia, Vietnam, Eritrea, Spain and South Africa to claim the world crown at the end of the competition.
As for Spain’s Elizabeth Rene Alabern, she was the first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Tanusia Chit was the second runner-up. Representative of the host country, Vietnamese Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc, was among the top 6 competitors.
Why the 73rd and 75th anniversary editions?
Combining the two numbers may seem contradictory at first glance, but the issue is related to the history of the competition.
The Miss World organization was founded in 1951 by Eric Morley, and the first edition was held in London. According to the organization, the competition will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2026, and at the same time, its 73rd edition will be held. The difference is due to the schedule disruptions that the competition faced during the Corona pandemic, as the 2020 edition was cancelled, while the 2021 competition was held in March 2022 and the 2022 competition was not organized until the competitions returned with the 2023 edition, which was held in Mumbai in 2024.
Thus, the 2026 edition is more accurately described as the 73rd edition of the Miss World pageant, marking its 75th anniversary.
Tanzania is hosting the Miss World 2027 pageant
After the curtain came down on the Miss World 2026 pageant, all eyes are on the upcoming edition as the organization announced that Tanzania will be the host country for the Miss World 2027 pageant.
Thus, Joheri Mola Dominguez begins her year on the international throne of beauty, carrying with her a project that puts education at the center of her mission, expanding the idea of ”beauty for purpose” that has become one of the most prominent pillars of the international pageant.
