The 2026 Miss World grand final, held this weekend in the coastal Vietnamese city of Nha Trang, has delivered a historic milestone for Belize, as Faith Edgar, the nation’s representative, has earned a coveted spot in the competition’s Top 40. Edgar secured her placement by taking home first place in the Americas and Caribbean regional round of the pageant’s iconic Beauty With a Purpose challenge, a core segment of the Miss World competition that prioritizes social impact over physical beauty.
Edgar’s winning project, titled Smiles for Belize, was developed to address widespread gaps in access to dental care and oral health literacy across Belize’s most marginalized communities. The initiative targets children and low-income families who lack consistent access to basic dental services, working to deliver free screenings, preventive care and educational programming that empowers communities to prioritize long-term oral health.
The final night of the competition crowned Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic as the overall Miss World 2026 titleholder. For Belize, Edgar’s Top 40 placement marks a repeat of the nation’s growing success on the international pageant stage. This achievement marks the second time in three consecutive Miss World editions that Belize has placed in the competition’s Top 40, following Elise-Gayonne Vernon’s Top 40 finish at the 2023 competition.
Edgar’s success underscores how Belizean competitors are increasingly leaving their mark on the global pageant circuit, while highlighting the impact of community-focused development work led by young leaders across the Caribbean and Central America.