Manika Vishwakarma, 22, from India, is among the younger contestants. Hailing from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, she currently lives in Delhi and is a final-year Political Science and Economics student. She was crowned Miss Universe Rajasthan 2024, then won the Miss Universe India title in August. Fans consider her to be multi-talented, possessing skills such as dancing and painting.

As the only transgender contestant in this edition, Huong Giang has drawn attention from both domestic and international media. During the semifinals and national costume competition on 19/11, she wore a student ao dai and a "dewdrop" gown. Her catwalk performance has been noted by many viewers as increasingly confident.

She secured third place in the Beyond the Crown (meaningful social project) category with 233,130 points, trailing behind contestants from Paraguay (689,258 votes) and the Philippines (298,245 votes). She also benefits from having 4,3 million social media followers, the largest fanbase in the competition.

Huong Giang, 34, works as a singer, model, actress, and content creator. She was crowned Miss International Queen 2018 and has previously appeared in "best arrival" rankings by beauty specialized publications.

The 74th edition of the competition, themed "Beyond the Crown," began in early november. Currently, 120 contestants continue their journey to win the crown. Miss Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark will crown her successor in the final, which will be broadcast exclusively and free on FPT Play on the morning of 21/11.

Bangladeshi contestant Tangia Zaman Methila is a strong contender from the South Asian region. The 33-year-old was born in the capital city of Dhaka. Tangia Zaman Methila is a model and actress, having been selected twice by the franchise holder to represent Bangladesh at Miss Universe in 2020 and 2025. She ranks second in terms of fan base in the competition, after Huong Giang, with 1,8 million social media followers. Beauty specialized publications predict Methila will make a breakthrough in the final night.

Following the semifinal night, Philippine contestant Ahtisa Manalo is predicted to win by the beauty specialized publication World Press. Since the start of the competition, she has maintained a consistent performance, delivering strong presentations and communicating confidently.

Ahtisa Manalo, 28, is a model with extensive experience in beauty pageants. In May, she was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2025, having previously placed as 2nd runner-up at Miss Universe Philippines 2024.

She also competed in Binibining Pilipinas (Miss Philippines 2018), finishing in third place. Subsequently, the franchise holder sent her to Miss International 2028 in Japan, where she won 1st runner-up. In 2024, after competing in Miss Universe Philippines 2024, she earned a spot at Miss Cosmo, held in Vietnam, where she finished in the top 10.

Contestants from the Philippines are consistently highly regarded by judges and beauty experts. Previous winners from the country include Pia Wurtzbach (2015) and Catriona Gray (2018).

Veena Praveenar Singh, the contestant from host country Thailand, is another prominent figure. The 29-year-old, of Indian descent, works as a model. She stands 1,78 m tall with measurements of 84 - 64 - 93 cm.

She has competed in Miss Universe Thailand four times, ultimately winning the crown in August. In her personal life, she was married to a businessman, divorcing last year.

Beyond her appearance and figure, Veena Praveenar Singh is also praised for her interview skills. She holds degrees in Russian language and Liberal Arts from Thammasat University, and is fluent in English and Russian.

Many Miss Universe fans refer to Chinese contestant Zhao Na as a "dark horse" this year. Initially not widely noticed, she stood out after the swimsuit competition due to her physique. Zhao Na, 20, is a model, standing 1,83 m tall. She is also a dancer with a passion for traditional musical instruments like the ty ba and dan tranh.

Thanh Thanh

Photos: Miss Universe