Andrea Meza

Alma Andrea Meza Carmona (born 13 August 1994) is a Mexican beauty queen who won Miss Universe 2020. She is the third Mexican woman to be crowned Miss Universe, and holds the record for the shortest complete reign in Miss Universe history to date.

She previously won Mexicana Universal 2020 and Miss Mexico 2017, and placed as the first runner-up at Miss World 2017.

Early life and education
Alma Andrea Meza Carmona was born on 13 August 1994 in Chihuahua City to parents Alma Carmona and Santiago Meza. She grew up in Chihuahua City as the eldest of three daughters, and is of partial Chinese ancestry. After completing secondary school, Meza enrolled in the Autonomous University of Chihuahua, where she studied software engineering. She graduated with a degree in 2017, and began working in Mexico as a software engineer in addition to her career as a model.

Miss Mexico 2017
Meza began her pageantry career in 2016, after she was selected to represent Chihuahua at Miss World Mexico 2016. Meza was one of the two contestants awarded a crown, being crowned as Miss Mexico 2017. Ana Girault, representing Mexico City, was crowned Miss Mexico 2016 and given the opportunity to represent Mexico at Miss World 2016, while Meza was given the opportunity to represent Mexico at Miss World 2017. Meza also won the sports challenge at the competition.

Miss World 2017


As the winner of Miss Mexico 2017, Meza represented Mexico at Miss World 2017, on 18 November 2017 at Sanya City Arena in Sanya, China. In the pre-pageant activities, Meza won group sixteen of the Head-to-Head Challenge, which gave her direct entry into the top forty. Additionally, she placed as the fourth runner-up in the talent competition.

During the finals of the competition, when Meza reached the top five, Julia Morley announced her as the first runner-up behind the winner, Manushi Chhillar from India. Meza was also crowned Miss World Americas, placing her within the 2017 Miss World Continental Queens of Beauty.

Mexicana Universal 2020
In 2020, Meza won Mexicana Universal Chihuahua 2020, and went on to represent Chihuahua at Mexicana Universal 2020, which she won. During pre-pageant activities, Meza won six challenges, including the sports challenge. The final was held on 29 November 2020 in Querétaro City.

Miss Universe 2020
As Mexicana Universal, Meza represented Mexico at Miss Universe 2020 and won, on 16 May 2021, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood in Hollywood, Florida, after being postponed from late 2020 to May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meza was crowned by the outgoing titleholder Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa. She became the third Mexican to win, following Lupita Jones in 1991 and Ximena Navarrete in 2010.

This was Mexico's second consecutive year in the top three after Sofía Aragón, Mexicana Universal 2019, finished as the second runner-up at Miss Universe 2019. Meza also surpassed Brook Lee's record of being the oldest contestant at the age of 26 years and 276 days. This record was later broken during the Miss Universe 2022 competition when R'Bonney Gabriel won at the age of 28 years and 300 days.

In her capacity as Miss Universe, Meza traveled to various cities within the United States, South Africa, the Bahamas, Israel, and her home country of Mexico.

After winning Miss Universe, Meza was succeeded as Mexicana Universal 2021 by Débora Hallal.