Miss Universe 2025: Who Won? Who Were the Finalists? And Everything That Happened Step by Step

After a month of scandals, accidents, and incredible events, Miss Universe is ready to choose its new beauty queen.

Thailand, the Philippines, Venezuela, Mexico and Côte d'Ivoire were the last five finalists.

Before the 12 finalists were announced an hour into the gala. Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Malta, and Côte d'Ivoire made the group, among 120 delegates. They walked on the stage with their evening gown.

Before the first 30 finalists of Miss Universe 2025 painted a very clear picture of what the pageant wants to be right now: global, multicultural, and very aware of migration stories. From Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Paraguay and the new sash of Miss Universe Latina to Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the United States, the list is full of women who represent Latin America and its diaspora.

For fans, this means a competition where Spanish, Spanglish and Portuguese are going to be heard on stage, and where issues like immigration, bicultural identity and women's rights across the region are likely to show up in the contestants' advocacy work.

Asia and the Pacific are coming in strong as well. The Philippines, India, China, Thailand, Japan and Bangladesh are all in this first cut, along with the small but powerful island of Malta. These countries traditionally deliver very prepared candidates, with heavy fan bases online and sophisticated pageant training.

Africa and the Middle East are also very visible in this group of 30. Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Côte d'Ivoire bring sub Saharan representation, while Palestine joins the list from the Arab world. For a pageant that has talked about inclusion for years, these placements help show diversity in skin tones, cultural backgrounds and stories about conflict, resilience and community building. Expect the advocacy platforms of these delegates to focus on education for girls, post conflict rebuilding, public health and the fight against discrimination.

Europe and the Caribbean round out the picture. Croatia, France and the Netherlands hold the European banner, while Guadeloupe appears alongside the heavy hitting Caribbean franchises of Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Canada and the USA complete the North American presence.

The next Miss Universe will take place in November 2026 in Puerto Rico.