Melissa Bottema Named Miss Universe Netherlands 2026

 

Bottema, 25, hails from Groningen and brings a varied professional background to the title - she works as a social worker and gymnastics coach in addition to modeling. She received her crown from last year's titleholder, Nathalie Mogbelzada, who represented the Netherlands at Miss Universe 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, this past November, where she advanced to the Top 30.

 

Bottema isn't new to the pageant world. Before claiming the national crown, she competed at Miss Intercontinental, reaching the Top 20, and at Miss Grand International, where she finished as fifth runner-up. That competitive track record positions her as an experienced contender heading into her next challenge: representing the Netherlands at Miss Universe 2026, set to take place in Puerto Rico this November.

 

In the aftermath of her win, Bottema shared online that she was overwhelmed with gratitude for the flood of supportive messages she received, joking that her phone hadn't stopped buzzing, and reassured well-wishers that she'd seen and appreciated every message even if she hadn't yet had the chance to reply to them all. 

 

 

Bottema wasn't the only titleholder crowned that night in Hilversum. Two additional queens were named during the same event: Lotte Marie van de Sande of Utrecht took home the Miss Netherlands Earth 2026 crown and will go on to compete at Miss Earth 2026 later this year, while Maila van Veen of Flevoland was named Miss Netherlands Teen 2026.

 

Bottema's win adds the Netherlands to a growing roster of countries that have now crowned their delegates for the 75th edition of Miss Universe. She joins other recently-crowned national titleholders - including Canada's Aslihan Morali, Spain's Susana Medina, and Japan's Sayuki Ito - all of whom are now gearing up to compete on the international stage in Puerto Rico this November.

 

As national pageants continue to wrap up across the globe throughout the summer, each new titleholder adds another name to the list of women preparing for what organizers are billing as a milestone edition of the competition, its 75th anniversary year. For Bottema, the road to Puerto Rico will likely include months of preparation, public appearances, and continued engagement with her social work and coaching background - interests that have already shaped her platform as a titleholder.

 

For now, the Netherlands can celebrate having crowned a delegate with genuine international pageant experience, given her prior showings at both Miss Intercontinental and Miss Grand International - credentials that suggest she'll arrive in Puerto Rico as a seasoned competitor rather than a newcomer to the world stage.