Oliver Eugen Kretz, 25, of Puerto Princesa, Philippines is Man of the World 2026. He is the first Filipino beauty king to win the title.
Man of the World is based in San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines. It was won by Mustafa Galal Elezali of Egypt in 2017, Cao Xuân Tài of Vietnam in 2018, Daniel Georgiev of Bulgaria in 2019, Aditya Khurana of India in 2022, Jin Wook Kim of South Korea in 2023, Sergio Alejandro Azuaga Piñango of Venezuela in 2024 and Juul Missiaen of Spain in 2025.
After Georgiev’s coronation, he was dethroned and replaced by his runner-up Jin Kyu Kim of South Korea. The latter was not able to crown his successor until 2022 due to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Man of the World 2026
Hosted by Yen Supan, the Man of the World 2026 coronation ceremony was held at the Palacio de Maynila in Malate, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines on June 6, 2026. It was the eighth edition of the international beauty pageant owned by Prime Events Productions Philippines Foundation Inc. (PEPPS).
Winner
Representing the Philippines, Kretz emerged as the ultimate winner. He was crowned by Missiaen.
Kretz is 6’3″ tall. He was born in Puerto Princesa to a German father and a Filipino mother.
Runners-up
Including Kretz, a total of 28 men competed for the Man of the World 2026 crown. Here are the runners-up:
- first runner-up: Abel Adrian Díaz (Ecuador)
- second runner-up: Fidel Arellano (Chile)
- third runner-up: Luis Arturo Jauregui (Mexico)
- fourth runner-up: Afiq Naufal (Malaysia)
Finalists
Five candidates made it to the second cut but did not proceed to the final question-and-answer portion. These candidates finished in the Top 10:
- Denny Howman (Indonesia)
- Estefano Balarín (Peru)
- Kelvin López (Puerto Rico)
- Ivan Songel Gutierrez (Spain)
- Lôi Viễn Quang (Vietnam)
Semifinalists
Eight candidates made it to the first cut but did not proceed to the second cut. These candidates finished in the Top 18:
- Simão Filho (Angola)
- Camilo Andrés Leal (Colombia)
- Jose Mario Rodriguez (Costa Rica)
- Tomas Ondracek (Czech Republic)
- Zachary Pichardo (Dominican Republic)
- William Shane (Myanmar)
- Sanjula Keshan (Sri Lanka)
- Chi Liu (Taiwan)
Other candidates
Ten candidates did not make it to the first cut. These candidates were unplaced:
- Liam Vlassenbroeck (Belgium)
- Phearum Chhin (Cambodia)
- Diego Moraes (France)
- Moha Kiran (India)
- Prakash Chauhan (Nepal)
- Fransel Meyers (Netherlands)
- Victor Eko (Nigeria)
- Saúl Samudio (Panama)
- Christian Emmanuel Flores (Saudi Arabia’s Asian community)
- Thanongsak Chuaykerd (Thailand)
Special awards
Before winning the title, Kretz dominated some of the pre-coronation segments of the competition. These were the winners of the special awards:
- Best in Beachwear: Oliver Eugen Kretz (Philippines)
- Best in Swimwear: Oliver Eugen Kretz (Philippines)
- Best in Formal Wear: Abel Diaz (Ecuador)
- Best in National Costume: Jose Mario Rodriguez (Costa Rica)
- Best in Arrival Outfit: Thanongsak Chuaykerd (Thailand)
- Best Physique: Luis Arturo Jauregui (Mexico)
- Best in Fashion of the World: Abel Diaz (Ecuador)
- Mister Photogenic: Fidel Arellano (Chile)
- Mister Congeniality: Camilo Andres Leal (Colombia), Denny Howman (Indonesia)
- Mister Personality: Kelvin Lopez (Puerto Rico)
- Mister Charity: Jose Mario Rodriguez (Costa Rica)
- Media’s Choice: Oliver Eugen Kretz (Philippines)
Judges
One former Man of the World winner was in the selection committee. These were the judges:
- Jing Lumaban
- Jojo Bragais
- Dr. Ralph Figaroa de las Alas
- Sergio Azuaga
- Dr. Vinn Pagtakhan
Sovran Star 
Leave a comment