Ethnically speaking, a European did triumph on Thai soil, except that woman represented a North American giant. Now, if we’re talking about sashes, it was the Netherlands which came closest to winning in the host country, with Vivian Jansen placing fifth in 1992. Its neighboring country, Belgium, on the other hand, leads by placement count, with Anke van Deermersch finishing sixth in the same year and Zoe Brunet making the Top 20 in 2018. Both countries sent formidable contenders once again, but with a back-to-back European win presumably not in the cards, the status quo’s expected to remain. Here’s an assessment of this year’s largest contingent, comprised of Europe and the Middle East:

ALBANIA – Flavia Harizaj. Parading alphabetically first makes standing out a struggle, especially in a roster this huge. This lovely model manages to overcome that predicament to a degree, but it’s a brutal showdown ahead.

ARMENIA – Peggy Garabekian. Having previously joined US-based pageants, this LA-based model marks her first time representing her country of origin. That in itself is already a landmark step, even if her prospects are slim.

BELARUS – Alena Kucheruk. This singer’s a decent sophomore entry for the former Soviet nation. Hopefully, the country gets to replicate its achievements in other systems once it eventually becomes a mainstay here. 

BELGIUM – Karen Jansen. Placements tend to be mutually exclusive for Belgians who compete both here and Miss World (granted they place at all). This psychology student made the Top 40 in India last May, so that might explain the reduced hype.

BULGARIA – Gaby Guha. So far, this stunner’s had her share of unintentional standout moments, like saying her country before her name in the opening ceremony. It’s really just a question of whether or not the powers-that-be will finally give her country a break.

CROATIA – Laura Gnjatović. At 6’3, this volleyball player towers over her competition. That’s only two inches below the record holder of tallest pageant contestant. But apart from that Guinness-worthy tidbit, she’s her country’s strongest bet since 2019. With luck, she might even surpass her successful predecessors’ achievements and even take a shot at the continental title. 

CZECH REPUBLIC – Michaela Tomanová. Obviously, the past two years have been stellar for the country also known as Czechia. That’s been solidified anew by its recent Miss Earth win. Here, however, it’s endured a staggering drought, following that four-peat from 2007-2010. This HIV advocate seems to have the edge to break the curse, but the heavy contenders just came in droves.

DENMARK – Monique Sonne. As the first Danish entrant since Josh Yugen’s takeover, she’s as formidable as the titleholder’s successor can get. The main hurdle, thus far, is her lackadaisical presentations, which might cost her in this strong field. 

ESTONIA – Briggita Schaback. This computer science graduate broke the internet when she showed up to her send-off in Barbie packaging. Yes, we get the joke, and way to remind everyone that she archetypally channels the reigning queen. But, even without that gimmick, she seemingly does have a host. There’s a hefty chance she impressed in interview.

FINLAND – Sarah Dzafce. There’s relief knowing that Matilda Wirtavuomi ended The Land of Midnight Sun’s placement drought by winning Miss Universe-Europe and the Middle East. So, even though this Kosovar transplant’s not expected to follow those footsteps, she earns mileage as this year’s shortest contestant.

FRANCE – Ève Gilles. The most unsettling takeaway from her national win was that women still get flack for sporting short hair. It’s mind-boggling, given the extent of how this contest opened its doors. Well, it seems adamantly keeping that look is working on her favor. She might as well silence those naysayers by making the cut. 

GREAT BRITAIN – Danielle Latimer. Not only is this Welsh photographer the oldest Brit to compete so far at 36, her runners-up in her national pageant were also 30-somethings. That’s yet another milestone for the MGI alumna, who eventually became the national director of Miss Earth Wales. She’s another potential surprise.

GREECE – Mary Chatzipavlou. At 31, this economist’s now the first Greek to benefit from the abolished age limit. While she might not end the drought, she can at least redeem herself from Big Brother Greece Season Eight, where she was evicted first.

HUNGARY – Kincsõ Dezsényi. It’s great to see his redhaead recover from food poisoning just in time. She makes a striking impression, even if she’s not mentioned much.

IRAQ – Hanin Al Quoreishy. With more Middle Eastern countries joining the fray, this third try feels inevitable for this country. This outspoken stunner does have impressive credentials, but a breakthrough feels uncertain.

IRELAND – Aadya Srivastava. The Emerald Isle breaks barriers anew with its first pure Indian representative (1998’s Andrea Roche was half). That alone could already earn this law student precious points, even if her odds are harshly steep.

ISRAEL – Melanie Shiraz. Under more peaceful circumstances, this US-based engineer would be deemed a contender. While some still consider her to be, one can’t disregard the hard-hitting connotations that come with her sash, given the presence of the Arab contingent, most especially, debuting Palestine. That viral clip of her glaring at the latter from behind, whether intentional or not, doesn’t help. Imagine the conclusions or assumptions to be drawn in case she powers through. 

ITALY – Lucilla Nori. This fashion sciences graduate personifies her country’s sense of glamor, but might still struggle to end the drought. To further the irony, her 2nd Runner-Up, who’s representing another country, might even outrun her here.

KOSOVO – Dorea Shala. This sultry-eyed ingenue’s the best Kosovar we’ve seen here in a while, though not in heavy contention. At least, the country’s back after last year’s health-related withdrawal.

LATVIA – Meldra Rosenberg. 20 years since this country debuted strong with the Top 10-placing Ieva Kocorevica, we now have this singer crossing over from Miss Supranational. It’s a bold leap of faith and all, but matching said milestone feels futile.

LEBANON – Sarah Bou Jaoude. Now that Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouch has pulled out of the panel and the performance line-up, this gorgeous finance graduate’s left to her own devices. Let’s see how she’ll still manage, because, frankly, a five-decade drought’s unbecoming of a country that once won.

MALTA – Julia Cluett. As of this writing, the country still has the most participations without a single placement. Perhaps it’s high time to finally bring forth change, as this psychologist has huge potential.

MOLDOVA – Mariana Ignat. In a way, this lawyer can be considered Diana Fast’s proxy, given that she’s represented Germany in Miss Supranational and Miss Charm. Too bad she’s receiving much less buzz as this landlocked country’s sophomore entrant.

NETHERLANDS – Nathalie Yasmine Mogbelzada. At this point, where hasn’t she competed? After losing her shot to Rikkie Kollé two years ago, this veteran finally earns her shot here – her hardest quest yet. Much as she still looks every inch the contender who rocked the Supranational and Grand stages years ago, there’s that risk she’ll replicate her Miss International finish.

NORWAY – Leonora Lysglimt-Rødland. Clearly, the Kingdom’s strategy of late is to go for “cute”, which hasn’t been very fruitful. Since this teen activist still falls into that category, the struggle’s bound to continue.

PALESTINE – Nadeen Ayoub. She’s more than proven her mettle as 2022’s Miss Earth-Water, but she obviously had no intentions of stopping there. Debuting amidst the horrors in Gaza is as loud as a battlecry can get. And there’s no way she won’t make the most of this platform. Should she inch her way to televised interview, expect history to be made. Come to think of it, it already is.

POLAND – Emily Reng. Now that Miss Polski lost its license, Oliwia Mikulska is now directly Supra-bound. In her place is this South Carolina-based student, who, frankly, would have had better prospects elsewhere. Then again, the country’s last placement did happen in Thailand. So, she might just prove to be a fine exception.

PORTUGAL – Camila Vitorino. Since 2023, the country has been playing the inclusivity card with its first transgender contestant (who made the cut), its first woman of color, and now, its first married mother. It seems that strategy’s poised to reward the Land of Navigators once again, as she’s deemed the strongest Portuguese since 2022’s Telma Madeira. With the right moves, the Continental title might be up for grabs, unless Croatia blocks it.

ROMANIA – Catalina Jacob. After joining Miss Universe Italy twice, this model now taps into the other half of her lineage. Some might call it risky, given the Land of Mysterious Dracula’s track record. But, who knows? She might just finally reverse its fortunes. 

RUSSIA – Anastasia Venza. The country can relax knowing Valentina Alekseeva ended the drought last year, but this medical student is currently overshadowed.

SERBIA – Jelena Egorova. Granted, the Miss Universe Serbia franchise couldn’t stage a pageant this year due to their country’s political crisis. But how on earth could an Indonesian manage to arbitrarily send a Mongolian, who’s actually even more Russian in roots? It’s easily this year’s biggest head-scratcher (well, second to Latina). It makes you wonder which nationality would rejoice if she makes the cut (since she arguably has the props to do so).

SLOVAKIA – Viktoria Güllova. They’ll probably cut her exaggerated, MGI-ish movements some slack, now that Nawat’s involved. But, even with that hypothetical pass, the odds of a second placement still seems slim.

SLOVENIA – Hana Klaut. Just like the delegate who alphabetically precedes her, her movements scream MGI. But it’s nice to see her country back after seven years.

SPAIN – Andrea Valero. You never know how the powers-that-be would assess this country, despite its respectable track record. And, in a year where they might just crown another hispanophone, it’s the European who might have to rally harder. 

SWEDEN – Daniella Lundqvist. The three-time champ finds its way back, thanks to Josh Yugen’s recent acquisition. This Miss World 2019 alumna makes for a worthy comeback, especially with her chic new look. It’s the stiff competition that makes a drought-ender feel hazy.

SWITZERLAND – Naima Acosta. Being of Mexican descent makes for an interesting tidbit, which also makes one wonder how she might have fared in Mexico City last year. Alas, she faces fierce competition from both her European and Latin lineage, though she does show incredible form in swimsuit.

TÜRKIYÉ – Ceren Arslan. This contest typically isn’t the Turks’ turf, though this radiotherapist has huge support from the voting populace and seems poised to at least nab the country’s second Miss Congeniality award. It’s strange that they’re letting the public decide on that one.

UKRAINE – Sofiya Tkachuk. With three strong finishes in World, Supranational, and Earth, the Breadbasket of Europe’s clearly back on track. This business graduate may not continue that upswing here, but it’s been a great year for the country either way.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Mariam Mohamed. Knowing that her predecessor’s of Kosovar origin makes this Emirati entrant feel like a debut once again. That in itself is already an achievement for this economics graduate, because she’s hardly buzzed about.

UP NEXT: Africa and Oceania