Brazil arrives at the 75th Miss Universe with one of its most purposeful and personally compelling representatives in recent years. Carrying the green and yellow to San Juan, Puerto Rico is Marcella Kozinski – a 26-year-old model and animal welfare advocate from Curitiba, Paraná, whose journey to the crown began in grief and ended in triumph.
Marcella Kozinski was crowned Miss Universe Brasil 2026 on July 25, at the grand final held at Complexo Tempo in São Paulo – broadcast live on Record TV, marking the first time in seven years the competition returned to open television. She received the crown from outgoing titleholder Maria Gabriela Lacerda, and the sash from Natália Guimarães, Miss Brasil 2007 and current Director of Strategies for Miss Universe Brasil.
Her path to pageantry began in one of the most difficult moments of her life. Marcella entered her first competition while grieving the loss of her father – a moment that shaped her understanding of what the platform could mean. She went on to be crowned Miss Universo Paraná in 2021, and in 2026 competed as the representative of Ilha do Mel, a Paraná island known for its natural beauty and environmental preservation, becoming the first candidate ever elected from this new tourism category created by the competition.
Her international experience dates back to 2019, when she competed in a pageant in China at just 19 years old – giving her a global perspective that most of her competitors at the national level didn’t have.
Beyond the pageant stage, Marcella carries a platform rooted in genuine personal passion. An animal lover at her core, one of her biggest dreams is to create a shelter dedicated to rescuing and caring for abandoned dogs. As she said after being crowned: “Beauty without purpose is only appearance.”
On her philosophy of authenticity – a theme that ran through her entire national campaign – she was clear: “Being authentic will always be the best path. We are not the same, we are very different from each other, but when we inspire authenticity, when we are ourselves, we inspire other people to work with their truth too.”
If she wins in Puerto Rico, Marcella will become only the third Brazilian woman to be crowned Miss Universe, following Iêda Maria Vargas in 1963 and Martha Vasconcellos in 1968.
Pageanthology’s Assessment:
Brazil is always one of the most anticipated delegations at Miss Universe, and Marcella Kozinski arrives with the substance to back up the expectation. Her international modeling experience, her deeply personal platform, and her ability to articulate a genuine message of authenticity make her a complete package. Brazil hasn’t won Miss Universe since 1968 – but Marcella has the profile of someone who could end that wait. A serious contender for Puerto Rico.