Reuben Nii Adom Wins Best National Costume at Mister Global 2026 in Thailand

Reuben Nii Adom, 28, represented Ghana at the Mister Global 2026 pageant held in Thailand, competing against 39 male delegates from around the worldHis costume, designed by Ghanaian fashion designer Mankatah Dinaire, drew on Ghana's history as the Gold Coast and the legacy of the Trans-Atlantic Slave TradeThe win makes Adom the first Ghanaian representative to claim a Best National Costume award at an international male pageantGhana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!

Ghana has picked up a landmark victory on the international pageant circuit after Reuben Nii Adom claimed the Best National Costume award at the Mister Global 2026 competition in Thailand.

Reuben Nii Adom represented Ghana at Mister Global 2026 in Thailand. Image credit: Mister Ghana Pageant Source: FacebookThe 28-year-old, competing as Team Ghana's representative, took the honour at the MCC Hall in The Mall Lifestore Ngamwongwan, where 39 male delegates, divided into regional groups, competed in the national costume segment alongside Miss Global contestants.

Ghanaian fashion designer Mankatah Dinaire crafted the costume that clinched the award. The piece drew directly from Ghana's identity as the former Gold Coast, weaving in references to the country's historic coastal forts and castles alongside a reckoning with the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

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The design blended traditional and contemporary Ghanaian elements, incorporating custom patterns and cultural symbols to create an outfit that told a story as much as it dazzled visually.

The achievement is a historic one: Adom is the first Ghanaian to ever win a Best National Costume award at an international male pageant, giving the victory added weight beyond the competition itself.

Below is an Instagram post highlighting Reuben's achievement.

Mister Global is an annual international pageant that positions its contestants as cultural ambassadors and advocates for social change, asking them to represent their countries' identities while demonstrating personal character and vision.

Ghana did not take home the overall Mister Global 2026 title, but the national costume prize has given the country a significant moment to celebrate.

The recognition shines a light on both Adom's presentation and the creative ambition of designer Mankatah Dinaire, whose work now carries the distinction of winning on one of the sport's biggest international stages.

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Ghanaians were quick to celebrate the achievement across social media. Yen.com.gh compiled some of the comments below.

According to an earlier report by YEN.com.gh, Ghanaian lawyer Dr Sylvia Ama Adusu was sworn in as a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), becoming the first African woman to serve on the global maritime court.

She was elected on June 18, 2026, at UN Headquarters in New York, securing 130 votes from UN member states for the 2026 to 2035 term

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Ben-oni Blay (Entertainment Editor) Ben-Oni Quao Blay is an Entertainment Editor at YEN.com.gh with a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Cape Coast. He has over five years of experience in SEO content creation, digital publishing, and audience analytics. Before joining YEN.com.gh, he served as Lead Content Creator and Writer at the International Filmmakers Association (Germany), where he covered film and entertainment. He holds Google certifications in Digital Marketing and SEO. Contact him at benoni.blay@yen.com.gh.