Miss Universe 2025: My Top 30 Predictions

Metta Xiong
Nov 19
4 min read

Hi!

In recent years, the Miss Universe pageant has undergone major transformations from new ownership to ongoing controversies and behind-the-scenes allegations, all of which have brought the organization renewed attention and public scrutiny. I’ll admit, I don’t usually follow pageants this closely. I’ve never been the type to deep-dive into contestant backgrounds, analyze interviews, or conduct research weeks before the competition. Normally, I just tune in for finals night (yes, I even skip prelims!) and form my opinions live as each contestant crosses the stage for the first time.

However, that all changed in 2020 when my good friend @voltairedontcare on TikTok, who runs a fantastic page with pageant commentary with over 78K followers, invited me to join a friendly challenge. We started sharing our Miss USA and Miss Universe predictions to see who could correctly guess the most finalists and eventual winner. It’s become such a fun tradition and one I look forward to every year.

If you love all things pageant-related, definitely go follow @voltairedontcare on TikTok. To get a better understanding of the rounds the delegates will be competing in, who the selection committee is, and how many women are selected, as opposed to fan votes, let's go into details of the pageant just a bit.

The Competition Details & Semifinalist Selection Process

This year, over 100 contestants from around the world are set to compete for the title of Miss Universe 2025. While some countries have faced dismissals or withdrawals after announcing their representatives, many still have time to send replacements. Not every country participates annually, so the total number of delegates varies from year to year.

The preliminary round, typically held a few days before finals night, marks the first stage of the competition. For 2025, the preliminary competition will take place on November 19th, alongside the National Costume Show. Viewers can watch both events live on Peacock or the official Miss Universe YouTube channel. During preliminaries, delegates will be evaluated in three categories: a closed-door interview, swimsuit, and evening gown presentation.

Finals night, also known as coronation night, will be held on November 21st and 30 semifinalists will advance based on their preliminary scores. These 30 will first compete in the swimsuit round, after which the field will narrow to 12 finalists who will move on to the evening gown competition. Following that, the judges will select a Top 5, who will then participate in the final Q&A round before the new Miss Universe is crowned, beginning with the announcement of the 4th runner-up.

In previous years, the number of semifinalists has varied where some years featured 25, others 30, and at times, the selections were even divided by continental regions, which personally, I found to be the fairest and most exciting approach. For this year’s competition, 25 delegates will advance based on their preliminary scores, 4 will be chosen as continental representatives, and 1 final spot will be determined through fan voting, allowing viewers around the world to help select their favorite delegate.

The Selection Committee this year consists of 8 individuals: Romero Britto, Andrea Meza, Sharon Ponseca, Ismael Cala, and newly joined, Louie Heredia, Saina Nehwal, and Dr. Nok Chalida. Omar Harfouch, who is a Lebanese-French composer and entrepreneur, was previously on the selection committee, however, resigned due to lack of transparency and allegations. Claude Makelele also resigned a few hours after Omar announced his resignation. Although it wasn't clear as to the reason, they were both quickly replaced. A few of the announced judges appeared during the preliminary round, while others did not. If anyone can provide more insight on this, that would be great, as two additional judges made an appearance instead: Savinee Pargarung and Farung Yuthithum. It's important to know their credentials and background to get a better understanding of how they may make their selection.

Romero Britto: Brazillian Artist

Andrea Meza: Former Miss Universe 2020

Sharon Ponseca: Venezuelan model and entrepreneur

Ismael Cala: Cuban-American journalist and author

Louie Heredia: Retired Filipino Singer

Saina Nehwal: First Indian badminton player to have won an Olympic medal

Dr. Nok Chalida: Former Miss Thailand 1998

Miniyothabo Francisca Baloyi: Distinguished leader and visionary changemaker

Natalie Glebova: Former Miss Universe 2005

Savinee Pargarnung: Former Miss Thailand 1984

Farung Yuthithum: Former Miss Thailand 2007

Please note that the competition schedule follows Thailand’s time zone. The event will be held on Friday, November 21st at 8:00 AM (Thailand time), which corresponds to Thursday, November 20th at 5:00 PM PST in the United States. You can watch finals night exclusively through Telemundo or Peacock.

And without further adieu, in no particular order, here are my top 30 predictions!

Top 30

Argentina
Armenia
Bahamas
Chile
China
Colombia
Cote d’Ivoire
Ecuador
El Salvador
France
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
India
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latina
Mexico
New Zealand
Nigeria
Palestine
Panama
Philippines
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Thailand
Turks and Caicos
USA
Venezuela
Vietnam

My Personal Favorites

I’ve been following all the contestants closely throughout each event, appearance, and activity, and a few incredible women have consistently stood out to me. Their presence, performance, and overall energy make them strong contenders for the Miss Universe crown. In no particular order, here are my personal top picks!