Meet Naima Acosta, the Swiss native with Latin roots competing in Miss Universe

Miss Universe 2025 has been full of surprises, and the latest comes from Naima Acosta, the representative of Switzerland. During the activities in Thailand, the 20-year-old revealed that she speaks Spanish perfectly, which has allowed her to communicate easily with the Latin American contestants as well as with other contestants in several languages. The bigger surprise came when she revealed that she not only speaks Spanish fluently, but also has Mexican heritage.

Naima was born in Switzerland, specifically in Giubiasco, in Ticino, in the southern part of the country. Her mother is also from there, but her father is proudly Mexican. “I lived in Mexico between the ages of 9 and 14, and that’s where I learned Spanish… well, since I was born I already understood it,” she said during an interview at the boxing activity the 122 contestants took part in this week.

Naima’s family moved to Puerto Aventuras, in Quintana Roo, Mexico, which allowed her to connect with her roots through her father’s culture. There, she also experienced the warmth of the Mexican people, and according to her interview with Corriere del Ticino, that was where she learned martial arts, practiced gymnastics, and discovered her love for art, which she developed by painting with oils and watercolors.

Back to her home country

That Mexican dream in the paradisiacal landscapes of Quintana Roo came to an end when her parents decided to go their separate ways, and she returned to Switzerland with her mother. Already a teenager, Naima continued her studies and later began working, which only motivated her to pursue her dream of modeling and carve a path toward the Miss Universe 2025 crown.

© Naima Acosta

Naima is no stranger to the spotlight. Before setting off for Thailand in hopes of becoming Victoria Kjær Theilvig’s successor, she walked at New York Fashion Week wearing designs by FAUWN and D by Design at the Léman Ballroom.

© Rodrigo Varela

The final competition of the Miss Universe pageant is scheduled to take place on November 21 at 8 a.m. Thailand time. In the United States, the event will be broadcast on Telemundo and Peacock on November 20 due to the time difference. The broadcast will be hosted by Carlos Adyan, Jessica Carrillo, Jacqueline Bracamontes, and Danilo Carrera, as reported by NBCUniversal. Coverage will begin at 7 p.m. ET.