People are only just learning about a ‘Mr World’ competition thanks to a viral video showing the handsome competitors representing their country on stage – and one turned up in a ‘Halloween costume’
People are only just realising that there is a competition to find the world’s best-looking men. You have likely heard of Miss Universe and Miss World – the world’s leading pageant competitions – and you may have seen clips of each Miss presenting themselves in a stunning ballgown and sash as they represent their country. Recently, people have learned there is a male equivalent of the competitions which is just as gruelling as its better-known counterparts.
It comes after a video went viral online showcasing the Mr World contestants from 2024 (although the video incorrectly labels it as 2025) – and people said they never knew it was a thing. “What the hell is Mr World?” asked one in the comments of the video, which has raked in over 11million views. “I didn’t know Mr World existed,” said another.
As the men came up on stage, they showed off their outfits – many of them traditional attire from their native countries – and read out the name of the nation they were representing into a microphone.
While most of the outfits were breath-taking, people could not get past what Mr USA wore – a Captain America outfit.
One person commented: “Everyone else is dressing for Mr World and USA dressing for Comic Con.”
“Not the US in a Halloween costume,” added another. “Everyone dressed in their culture and the US came in a costume,” added one other.
“Y’all worried about the USA’s costume. I’m worried about how long Mr World has been going on,” one other said.
With many people unclear about how long the competition has been going on for, one person wrote: “Since forever! Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most famous winners. He won the Mr. World title in 1970!”
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But one individual responded and said: “Correction, he didn’t win Mr World but did compete, he won Mr Universe instead.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger won the title of Mr Universe in 1967, becoming the youngest ever winner at age 20. The actor also won Mr Olympia seven times – a record at the time, although it has since been beaten. Sean Connery also competed in the Mr Universe contest in 1953 and placed third.
Mr Universe is a competition organised by the British National Amateur Body-Builders’ Association (NABBA), while Mr World is a competition within the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB).
It was founded by the Miss World Organisation in 1996 and requires participants to show well-roundedness as well as bodybuilding prowess. The entrants have to compete in various activities, including mountain biking, marathon running and water skiing.
The current title-holder is Daniel Mejía, who won the title last November in Vietnam on behalf of Puerto Rico.
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