MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines finally captured its first-ever Man of the World crown as Filipino-German model Oliver Eugen Kretz emerged victorious during the grand coronation night of Man of the World 2026 held on Saturday, June 6, at the Palacio de Maynila in Manila.
The 25-year-old representative of the Philippines made history by becoming the first Filipino winner of the international male pageant in its eight-year history. He succeeds reigning titleholder Juul Messiaen of Spain, who crowned his successor at the conclusion of the competition.
Kretz impressed the judges throughout the competition with his charisma, stage presence, and embodiment of the pageant’s advocacy of “Masculinity with Responsibility.” His victory was met with loud cheers from the hometown crowd, marking a significant milestone for Philippine male pageantry.
Representing Ecuador, Abel Díaz finished as first runner-up. Meanwhile, Fidel Arellano of Chile was named second runner-up, followed by Luis Arturo Jauregui of Mexico as third runner-up and Afiq Naufal of Malaysia as fourth runner-up.
Man of the World 2026 Final Results
Man of the World 2026
- Oliver Eugen Kretz (Philippines)
1st Runner-Up
- Abel Díaz (Ecuador)
2nd Runner-Up
- Fidel Arellano (Chile)
3rd Runner-Up
- Luis Arturo Jauregui (Mexico)
4th Runner-Up
- Afiq Naufal (Malaysia)
Top 10 Finalists
The remaining delegates who completed the Top 10 were representatives from:
- Indonesia
- Peru
- Puerto Rico
- Spain
- Vietnam
Top 18 Semifinalists
Also making it into the semifinals were the contestants from:
- Angola
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Czech Republic
- Dominican Republic
- Myanmar
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
The historic victory of Oliver Eugen Kretz further strengthens the Philippines’ reputation as a powerhouse in international pageantry. As the newly crowned Man of the World 2026, he will spend the next year serving as a global ambassador for the organization while promoting its advocacy of responsible masculinity, leadership, and social impact.
For Filipino pageant fans, Kretz’s triumph represents a long-awaited breakthrough and another proud moment for the country on the international stage.