Puerto Rico secures first top 40 spot in Miss World 2026

Suil Anyelina Pagán of Puerto Rico has become the first contestant to secure a spot in the top 40 of Miss World 2026 after winning the Sport Challenge. The competition included a 1,500m run followed by swimming heats, where representatives from Puerto Rico, Australia, and Northern Ireland emerged as top performers.

In a separate event, the Head Chef Beauty cooking challenge was introduced for the first time in the pageant's history. Vietnam's representative, Lê Nguyễn Bảo Ngọc, won this challenge as part of a ten-person team including contestants from Portugal, Wales, Trinidad and Tobago, Croatia, Kenya, Bolivia, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, and Gibraltar. The team was judged on menu construction, preparation, presentation, and teamwork.