ARGENTINA – Yamile Dajud. The Land of Tango may have only placed thrice since 1979, but it still sent us strong contenders from time to time. This multi-hyphenate rose in contention as days progressed, but might have been overpowered in the preliminaries. Still, it’s fair to count her as a possibility.

ARUBA – Karol Croes. The One Happy Island had a shot at a consecutive placement after its 2021 drought-ender. Sadly, that streak did not materialize, and now this polyglot faces the usual uphill battle.

BAHAMAS – Melissa Ingraham. Well, at least the alphabetically inclined can rest easy knowing her archipelago’s back in the B Group (They removed “The”).This environmentalist is a polished contender with a worthy cause but might not replicate Chantel O’Brian’s landmark feat.

BOLIVIA – Estefany Rivero. Not only did this often-overlooked country make the cut in Miss International last October, it also achieved a record high by finishing 4^th Runner-Up. Perhaps this woman empowerment advocate could use some of that good juju; she’s another underrated contender.

BRAZIL – Maria Brechane. Much as this powerhouse is still struggling to regain its footing, this journalism student might just spark hope. She keeps up with the best of the Latinas despite being only 19 and showed wonderful energy in the preliminaries. Being a Voices of Change Silver Finalist might have boosted her prospects.  

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS – Ashellica Fahie. This UK territory had been taking steps in the right direction recently but a breakthrough still feels unlikely.

CANADA – Madison Kvaltin. Fresh from her Miss International Top Eight placement last year, this body positivity advocate now finally earns her shot here. No doubt, she’s equipped with the looks, eloquence, and experience to stay afloat, but the competition’s far too elevated now to be certain. Then again, her predecessor sure placed out of nowhere.

CAYMAN ISLANDS – Ileann Powery. Despite losing its previous license holder over the bidding system, this UK territory fortunately found a replacement on time. This anti-bullying advocate, however, might experience the usual result.

CHILE – Celeste Viel. This public relations graduate is stunning. But then again, so were her last three predecessors, two of whom had to settle for special awards. So, much as she once again has the overall makings of a drought-ender, assessing her prospects still feels tricky. One can only hope this is it; that Voices of Change ticket sure bodes well.

COLOMBIA – Camila Avella. Guatemala might have beaten herto that milestone by a few weeks, but this married mom makes history just the same. It’s a colossal stride, coming from her pageant-savvy country and if there’s one preliminary performance that truly fortified the rule adjustments, that would be hers. Indeed, status shouldn’t hinder the determined. And among this year’s inclusivity icons, she stands the strongest chance at ranking high – or more, if luck takes her side.

COSTA RICA – Lisbeth Valverde. Clearly, the host country’s neighbors are feeling the love just as much and, remember, her country almost hosted the contest recently. So, there’s this permeating gutfeel that the organization still owes the Land of Peace something. Couple that with her sensational preliminaries and she might just be a last minute shoo-in.

CURAÇAO – Kim Rossen. Next to the American candidate, this athlete has the biggest shoes to fill, since her island recently secured its best placement in 25 years. She’s a formidable follow-up to Gabriela dos Santos butbreaking the record might be a struggle.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Mariana Downing. At first, this half-Brit was criticized for the same grounds as 2019’s Puerto Rican representative, Madison Anderson as she’s seemingly more fluent in English than in Spanish. Mild controversy aside, she still entered the field as a heavy favorite, with some fans even clamoring for the country’s second crown 20 years after its first. To be fair, there’s basis. But, for some reason, observers found her preliminary performance underwhelming, even going as far as nominating her for the El Tocuyo Award this early. Hopefully, that won’t be the case, as it’s still hard to envision her not going far. And, remember: not all of Amelia Vega’s preliminary choices were perfect either and look where she ended up.

ECUADOR – Delary Stoffers. The Center of the World won its first Miss Supranational crown last July, which certainly amounts to something. Here, however, the country’s fortunes come and go, with nine years being its shortest ever placement gap. This lady can be one of those brighter spots, but the Latin showdown’s too intense.

EL SALVADOR – Isabella García-Manzo. Her local victory wasn’t without controversy, as the stunning Miss World alumna, Fatima Cuellar, seemed to be the more obvious choice. Good thing she’s been delivering, and her preliminary performance went way beyond expectations. Homecourt advantage notwithstanding, Placement #5 might just be in the wings.

GUATEMALA – Michelle Cohn.  This entrepreneur went from being a Miss Grand International also-ran 10 years ago to making history as the first mom to qualify since the rule change. She has a fair shot at benefitting from that distinction, and the Central American reception might bolster her chances.

GUYANA – Lisa Narine. Six years after an alleged rigging scandal rocked its national organization, this tropical country is finally back in action. This creative coordinator may not be mentioned much, but she has gorgeous features and great presence. File her under underrated.

HONDURAS – Zuheilyn Clemente. This country was forced to skip the 1975 contest because of then-brewing tensions with the host nation. Obviously, that’s now all water under the bridge because the crowd went wild for this children’s rights advocate. Could that overdue drought-ender finally be upon us?

JAMAICA – Jordanne Levy. Sure, Toshami Calvin was among the several stunning shutouts last year, but this medical doctor has an impressive resume and serves a relevant cause. Given how the powers-that-be factor in credentials now, it’s safe to assume her prospects are better. Now, if only she smiled more while strutting.   

MEXICO – Melissa Flores. Miss Earth’s class of 2018 already set a record for crossovers to this pageant and, this year, we got two more. This psychology graduate finished Miss Earth-Fire that year, behind eventual Miss Universe Colombia 2021 Valeria Ayos. Not everyone’s convinced she can replicate her past feats (Celeste Cortesi, for one, didn’t), but her preliminary performance should attract more believers. That alone should put her country back in contention after missing the cut for two years. And with the looming possibility that her country will host again next year, she might be in for a stronger chance.

NICARAGUA – Sheynnis Palacios. Only a gulf separates the host country from her home and, as it stands, this communications graduate already attained a pageant milestone. In early 2022, she brought her country back to the Miss World finals 20 years after Ligia Arugello’s Top 5 placement. There’s a hefty chance she can outdo her previous feat. Aside from entering as a heavy favorite, she was the undisputed preliminary standout that evening. Much as her country’s not normally synonymous to pageant glory, she might just finally turn the tides.

PANAMA – Natasha Vargas. This country forever has Justine Pasek to thank, but it wasn’t always at the top of its game since it last hosted the contest. Good thing this journalist delivers and, again, the Central American reception is wild. But among the formidable performers from her region, she faces the toughest struggle.

PARAGUAY – Elicena Andrana. We concede that the Nadia Ferreira archetype seems to come once in a blue moon, but breaking news: she’ll be sitting as finals judge. This advocate against human trafficking is a strong enough contender, which underwhelms, considering how close the country was to the crown two years ago.

PERU – Camila Escribens. The succession of winners from 2014-2017 proved that countries can win again after a long gap. As it stands, this country seems to have the best shot at following suit, but it won’t necessarily be delivered yet this year. At the minimum, this parasports advocate can be considered a strong shoo-in.  

PUERTO RICO – Karla Guilfú. This psychology student was Miss Supranational 1^st Runner-Up the year after Anntonia Porsild’sreign. That means that for a brief moment in 2021, she was almost crowned by famed Thai. It’s interesting to see them reunited as adversaries, but since she didn’t win her go-round, some are inclined to give her the upper hand his time. Given how the Latinas are owning this game this year, that scenario has become closer to likely, especially with her Voices of Change placement. She delivered, but whether or not she can surpass her already lofty previous placement remains to be seen.

SAINT LUCIA – Earlyca Frederick. Wedon’t normally expect much from this island here, but this education inclusivity advocate exudes oodles of charm and bright energy.  

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – Faith Gillezeau. Some might consider this pharmacist conventionally prettier than last year’s eloquent drought-ending Tya Jane Ramey. Couple that with her country’s first winner, Janelle Commissiong, being part of the selection committee, and she might still have a fighting chance.

USA – Noelia Voigt. The last time a woman from Utah set foot on this contest, the United States won its third crown. That, of course, was courtesy of Linda Bement, who sadly passed away in 2018. Hoping to replicate that feat 63 years later is this Venezuelan-born interior designer who advocates for immigration rights and reform. It must be heartwarming to parade before her country of origin and, safe to say, the placement streak will continue. It’s the back-to-back victory that feels like a longshot – even if she does vaguely resemble R’Bonney.

VENEZUELA – Diana Silva. Her Miss Earth 2018 journey ended on an anticlimactic note, when she fainted onstage minutes before the Top 4 was announced. It was even rumored that she actually qualified for the next round, if not for her incapacitation. Well, there’s comfort in her making most of this second wind, as she entered this race as a frontrunner. While she might have been outshone during the pre-pageant activities, she came back to conquer with that preliminary showstopper. Talk about getting back on her feet and reclaiming her shining moment. At the minimum, she’s poised to outrun her Mexican batchmate in this go-round. Whether or not she can finish what Amanda Dudamel started last year, however, remains the question.