The 12 finalists for Miss Universe France 2026 have now been chosen. The self-styled organizing committee has completed its selection process, and the young women are to be officially revealed on September 5th, upon their arrival at the boot camp held in the south of France until September 11th. However, while the names of the candidates will be made public, the identities of those who selected them remain unknown, as Miss Universe France has not yet officially commented on the matter.
So, 12 women have been chosen to represent France at Miss Universe by a committee whose members, qualifications, and appointments remain unknown. One question therefore overshadows all others: what is the true legitimacy of this new Miss Universe France?
Miss France withdraws, Miss Universe forces its way in and imposes its own nebulous selection process in France
As a reminder, Miss Universe France 2026 is no longer affiliated with the Miss France organization. Last May, the latter decided to suspend its participation in Miss Universe 2026 following the numerous controversies surrounding the 2025 edition. Frédéric Gilbert notably denounced the "numerous dysfunctions" observed the previous year and explained his desire to preserve the integrity and values of the Miss France competition.
Miss Universe immediately circumvented this withdrawal by deciding to choose the Miss France representative herself . The new national selection was therefore organized under the direct supervision of the international organization.
The situation is unique: Miss France refuses to send one of its candidates because it deems the guarantees insufficient, and Miss Universe then creates its own system to select a French woman nonetheless. This new committee is based neither on the regional Miss France elections, nor on its historical network, nor on a national structure established for years. Its legitimacy derives primarily from Miss Universe, itself illegitimate and divided.
12 finalists chosen by an opaque committee that concentrates all the power, with undisclosed criteria and rules.
The selection committee manages the entire process from start to finish: reviewing applications, conducting interviews, and then making the final selection. No public vote or external panel is involved in its decision. Yet, the 12 finalists were chosen without the committee's composition being disclosed. It is therefore impossible to know the backgrounds of those who made the decision, their potential connections to Inès Ligron, the Miss Universe Organization, agencies, partners, or any of the other candidates. For a selection process that claims to choose a national representative, this lack of essential information inevitably fuels suspicion.
Unlike the official Miss France pageant, which has a precise set of rules, the Miss France Universe organization has not officially published any evaluation criteria for the pre-selection of candidates. Yet, the 12 finalists have already been chosen. The committee has therefore reviewed the applications, interviewed the candidates, and proceeded with the eliminations, even though the detailed criteria that the public has a right to know have not been released. It is impossible to know precisely the weight given to eloquence, physical appearance, English proficiency, general knowledge, professional background, community involvement, or social media presence.
Potential conflicts of interest that are impossible to control
In order to dispel doubts following the cheating and conflict-of-interest scandals that plagued Miss Universe , Miss Universe France had a duty to reassure the public regarding these conflicts of interest. However, when the identity of the evaluators remains unclear or unknown, it becomes impossible to verify their past professional relationships, their ties to agencies, sponsors, coaches, or certain contestants. This issue is all the more significant given that the 2025 Miss Universe competition was itself marked by suspicions of conflicts of interest, parallel pre-selection processes, and opaque decision-making.
Following the Fatima Bosch scandal, are the same opaque methods being used in France?
The crowning of Fatima Bosch as Miss Universe 2025 remains shrouded in deep controversy. Natalie Glebova, Miss Universe 2005 and a member of the jury, claimed that 80% of the jurors she interviewed had not voted for Fatima Bosch . Glebova's revelations about the jury's vote reinforced accusations already made before the final. Pianist Omar Harfouch, for his part, left the jury, denouncing irregularities and a parallel pre-selection process . It was after this accumulation of controversies that Miss France finally decided to withdraw.
This is why the French start is problematic: after a global crisis focused precisely on how the candidates were chosen, Miss Universe is launching a new selection in France whose committee remains anonymous and whose criteria announced before the decision have still not been published after the designation of the 12 finalists.
Inès Ligron: how can she agree to work with Miss Universe and Raúl Rocha?
At the head of the operation is Inès Ligron. Given her experience in the world of international pageants and her knowledge of Miss Universe, her decision to work for this organization, within the framework desired by its Mexican co-owner, Raúl Rocha Cantú, who is currently under arrest warrant, is surprising, to say the least. Inès Ligron can hardly be unaware of the numerous accusations, investigations, and legal proceedings surrounding the businessman, nor of the scandals that have rocked Miss Universe in recent months.
Yet she agreed to take the helm of this new French selection, created directly after the withdrawal of Miss France and placed under the supervision of Miss Universe. What guarantees did she obtain before accepting this mission? Did she request explanations regarding Raúl Rocha's legal situation, his exact role within the French organization, or the financing of this new entity? Given her experience, it is all the more difficult to believe that she would have joined this project without being aware of the extremely sensitive context surrounding it.
The selection process is organized within the framework established by the international organization. Inès Ligron also explained that the development of Miss Universe in Paris came directly from the organization's owner. This new Miss Universe France, therefore, resembles more of a national branch created after the withdrawal of Miss France than a truly independent French competition.
Paris Match, Inès Ligron's media showcase: simple cover-up or strategic support?
Inès Ligron also prominently features the official Paris Match website on Instagram , which had dedicated a particularly flattering article to her. In a context where the new Miss Universe France needs to quickly establish her credibility, this apparent collusion inevitably raises questions.
What exactly is the nature of the relationship between Inès Ligron, Paris Match , and the new organization? Is it simply editorial coverage, privileged support, a partnership, or a future collaboration? The question is all the more relevant given that Miss Universe France is officially seeking partners among brands, media outlets, and institutions, offering them visibility, content featuring the contestants, and a share of the winner's prize. Following international controversies surrounding conflicts of interest, transparency should also extend to the relationships between the competition's management and the media outlets involved in its establishment.
The fugitive Raúl Rocha in the background: Miss Universe France in the shadow of Mexican affairs
The main issue, however, remains the direct link with the Miss Universe Organization and its co-owner Raúl Rocha Cantú. His group owns 50% of the international organization, while the French selection is placed under its supervision.
Raúl Rocha is currently facing serious legal proceedings in Mexico. Authorities are investigating his alleged involvement in a network linked to organized crime, money laundering, arms trafficking, and fuel smuggling. His bank accounts have already been frozen by the anti-money laundering unit as part of this case.
In August, a second legal proceeding worsened his situation with a new arrest warrant, this time concerning alleged operations using illicit funds and money laundering. We had previously detailed the second arrest warrant and the new money laundering investigation targeting Raúl Rocha.
Therefore, Rocha's exact role in the new French structure needs to be clearly defined. To what extent does the Miss Universe Organization intervene in the selection of the team, strategic decisions, partners, and especially the funding?
While Raúl Rocha is accused of money laundering, who is funding Miss Universe France? And where does the money come from?
The financial question is all the more sensitive as Miss Universe had launched her French operation by announcing a spectacular prize package: €50.000, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class and accommodation in Paris , to which was to be added a paid reign, a wardrobe and a trip to Puerto Rico.
The origin of this funding thus becomes an unavoidable question. Does the Miss Universe Organization directly finance the selection process? Are companies linked to Raúl Rocha involved? Do the funds come from French or international sponsors? Which partners cover the hotels, teams, travel, boot camp, and future prize money? These questions are particularly legitimate when the co-owner of the international organization is himself being prosecuted in a case involving funds of alleged illicit origin and money laundering.
Mexican authorities are also investigating the financial transactions of several companies linked to Raúl Rocha. Another case involves a 745,6 million peso contract awarded to Pemex by a consortium that included a company controlled by Rocha, at a time when Fátima Bosch's father held a senior position within the Mexican state-owned utility. We have previously detailed the questions surrounding the financial ties between Raúl Rocha and Fátima Bosch's circle. In this context, the traceability of funds used for the French national team selection process cannot be treated as a secondary issue.
€50.000, Mercedes, apartment: who really pays for these gifts?
This is precisely one of the main areas of uncertainty surrounding the launch of Miss Universe France. The advertised perks are considerable: €50.000 in cash, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class, accommodation in Paris, a salary during the reign, a wardrobe, and a trip to Puerto Rico. But behind this particularly generous facade lies a crucial question: who is actually putting up the money?
When these gifts were announced, we already raised the question of their financing and the source of the funds . Is the Mercedes provided directly by the brand or purchased by the organization? Who is paying the €50.000? Who is financing the Parisian accommodation? Which company will pay the winner during her reign? Are they French partners already under contract, the Miss Universe Organization, international companies, or funds provided directly or indirectly by the owners of Miss Universe?
The issue becomes inextricably linked to Raúl Rocha's situation. The co-owner of Miss Universe is the subject of legal proceedings in Mexico, notably concerning money laundering and the alleged use of illicit funds. Under these circumstances, knowing the origin of the funds injected into the new French organization is a basic requirement of transparency. Who are the financiers? Through which companies are the funds channeled? Which partners have signed agreements? Which entity collects and settles the French expenses?
It's not simply a matter of whether the future winner will walk away with a Mercedes or €50.000. The real question is who is funding Miss Universe France and where the money comes from that allows this newly established organization to promise such sums and perks. Given the current legal situation surrounding Raúl Rocha, this question is far from trivial.
An organization that is very discreet about its legal structure
The legal status of the competition adds another layer of uncertainty. It is impossible to find the legal information for Miss Universe France explicitly stating the company name, legal structure, capital, registered office, SIREN/SIRET number, or a contact address.
Meanwhile, the 12 finalists have already been chosen and must participate in a seven-day boot camp including photo shoots, coaching, and various challenges. The question is also legitimate: which legal entity is currently organizing these activities, signing the contracts, paying the service providers, insuring the participants, and assuming legal responsibility in case of problems? For an organization already involved in a national selection process, this lack of clarity is difficult to understand.
1.500 officially registered Misses, 200 auditioned, 12 finalists selected very (too?) quickly
The number of applicants raises yet another question. In July, Miss Universe publicly announced over 1.500 French applications. Since then, an Instagram story on the official account has mentioned approximately 200 candidates being auditioned. The reason for the drop from over 1.500 applications to around 200 auditions has not been explained. It would be helpful to know the criteria used in this initial selection and to understand what happened to the hundreds of applications that were not auditioned.
The timing adds further doubt. An announcement declaring the opening of registrations was published on August 19th on the Miss Universe France Instagram account. By September 1st, less than two weeks later, the 12 finalists had already been selected. This speed is surprising. With over 1.500 registrations announced, approximately 200 auditions, and 12 finalists chosen so quickly, publishing a detailed report of the process would at least allow us to understand how the selection was actually carried out.
Miss Universe France wants to establish its legitimacy, but is accumulating unanswered questions.
The 12 finalists, to be announced on September 5th, are obviously not responsible for any of these issues. The problem lies with the system that just selected them and will soon designate one of them as France's representative.
Miss France withdrew from Miss Universe after the 2025 scandals. Miss Universe immediately created its own French selection. An unknown committee now holds all the selection power. Its selection criteria are shrouded in absolute secrecy, and the 12 finalists have already been chosen in record time, raising serious questions. The organization's legal entity has still not been established. Funding remains opaque. The gifts announced at the beginning of the summer still raise questions about their financing and the source of the funds. And the international organization that oversees the entire process is half-owned by Raúl Rocha, who is facing serious charges in Mexico for organized crime, arms trafficking, fuel smuggling, and money laundering.
Miss Universe France had a duty of transparency; a national selection process cannot be legitimate without demonstrating trustworthiness and offering publicly explainable procedures at each stage. The first crucial step is now complete. But to gain public trust and a minimum of legitimacy, Miss Universe France must now explain who makes the selections, according to what rules, under whose authority, and with what funding. Otherwise, it risks vindicating those who strongly doubt the credibility of this competition. Because, for the moment, many legitimate questions are being raised, and Miss Universe France is not answering any of them…
