Does Eurovision and Euros success go together?

Originally published in June 2021, updated for June 2024.

It's only been a few weeks since Eurovision ended but already Europeans have moved on to another major event - The UEFA European Football Championship or The Euros for short.

24 nations are competing in Germany to try and take out the title of European champions.

But what does this have to do with Eurovision?

Well in recent times success at the Euros and Eurovision has often gone hand-in-hand.

Does one help the other? Let's look at the times success has crossed over:

Greece

• 2004 Euros - Winners

• 2005 Eurovision - Winners

The early to mid 2000s were a great time for Greece and it all kicked off for the nation at that year's Euros in Portugal.

Greece arrived at the competition ranked as outsiders, as it was only their third major tournament in the country's footballing history.

Upsetting the hosts in the very first game of the tournament, their fairytale run took them all the way to the final where they faced Portugal yet again. A single goal to Angelos Charisteas in the 57th minute saw them crowned European champions.

They would host the Olympics a month later in what was a remarkable year for the nation.

But it didn't stop there. After Sakis Rouvas finished 3rd at Eurovision 2004, Helena Paparizou would do even better and take out the 2005 Contest in Kyiv.

It was the first crown for Greece and they would host Eurovision in 2006.

A dream run of three years for Greece that all started with the Euros that would also lead to Eurovision success.

Portugal

• 2016 Euros - Winners

• 2017 Eurovision - Winners

Portugal had been knocking on the door of a major football championship for years. Runner-up in the aforementioned Euros in 2004 they also made the semi-finals in 2000 and 2012 as well as the World Cup semi-final in 2006.

In 2016 the team finally tasted success by beating France on French soil to get their first major win after first competing at a major tournament in 1966!

It was an even longer wait for the country at Eurovision.

After debuting at the Contest in 1964 the country took 53 years to finally win the Contest when Salvador Sobral won with Amar pelos dois.

And how he won - a recording breaking points tally that is still unmatched and the only winner in the new system to top both the jury and the televote.

Portugal would then go on to host an amazing Contest in 2018 to top off a quality three years for the nation.

Italy

• Eurovision 2021 - Winners

• Euros 2020 (held in 2021) - Winners

In May of 2021, Måneskin won the Eurovision Song Contest for Italy with Zitti e buoni. It was the nation's first win at the Contest since 1990.

It was a win that had been building for years with consistent Top 3 places.

Under two months later, their football team would win the Euros in a dramatic final against England at Wembley.

It was the nation's major title since the World Cup 2006 and their first Euros win since 1968.

It was a golden period for Italy with a successful Olympics a few weeks later where they won a record 40 medals, including a surprise 100m sprint gold.

While Matteo Berrettini would make the final of Wimbledon that same year.

Russia

• Eurovision 2008 - Winners

• Euros 2008 - Semi-finalists

In 2008 Russia finally got the Eurovision win it wanted.

After finishing runner-up two times and third twice within seven years, Dima Bilan won the crown with his song Believe.

Just a month later the Russian team would compete at the Euros in Austria and Switzerland.

The football team had never gone beyond the Group Stage as 'Russia' but would have the best ever major tournament (to date) by making the semi-finals, including a quarter-final win over The Netherlands.

France

• Euros 2000 - Winners

• Eurovision 2001/2002 - 4th and 5th

After winning the World Cup at home in 1998, the French football team went on to lift the European trophy at the 2000 tournament held in The Netherlands and Belgium.

At Eurovision the former juggernauts of the Contest had been struggling, finishing 19th and below for four of the five years between 1996 and 2000.

After the Euros win in 2000 they would finish in the Top 5 twice in a row (Natasha St-Pier with Je n'ai que mon âme in 2001 and Sandrine François with Il faut du temps in 2002) for the first time in a decade.

It would go on to be their best result until Barbara Pravi finished runner-up in 2021.

Latvia

• Eurovision 2002 - Winners

• Euros 2004 - Qualified for their only major tournament ever

Currently, Latvia struggles in both Eurovision and football, but in the early 2000s, it was a very different story.

Latvia won the Contest in 2002 with Marie N's I Wanna. It was just the country's third attempt at the Contest.

They went on to hold Eurovision the following year in Riga, in what would be an iconic year.

In football, things were also looking up for the small Baltic nation.

The same year they hosted Eurovision they qualified for the 2004 Euros by knocking out Turkey in a playoff.

They would finish bottom of their group but did scrape a draw against Germany and were not disgraced.

This remains their only major tournament to date.

England / United Kingdom

• Euros 2020 (held in 2021) - Runner-up

• Eurovision 2022 - Runner-up

At the Euros in 2021, England would make their first major tournament final since 1966. It was the first time the team went past the quarters at the Euros since they hosted in 1996.

Just a year later, the English singer Sam Ryder finished runner-up at Eurovision for the UK at Eurovision. It was the first time they'd finished that high since they hosted in 1998!

Spain

• Euros 2008 and 2012 - Winners

• Eurovision 2008 and 2012 - 16th and 10th...

On the down-side Spain won the Euros in 2008 and that year finished 16th with Baila el Chiki-chiki so it doesn't always turn out....

Saying that they did get a solid Top 10 finish at the 2012 contest with Pastora Soler, which was the same year they won the 2012 Euros.

So what's happening here?

Well multiple things could be happening.

Investment

Many countries use international competitions for nation-building or "soft power".

Russia looked to show itself off on the global stage for over a decade which included doing well at Eurovision as well as hosting the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 and the World Cup in 2018.

That investment would no doubt play out on the sporting field as well.

Additionally, big nations like France and Spain will always have the legacy and money to do well at football and that works at Eurovision, when a Big 5 nation occasionally does well.

National mood

Success in a nation can breed more success.

Greece rode a wave of results, attention and success during the 2000s that felt unmatched. With the Olympics around the corner and a new sense of pride, did the footballer rise above expectations in 2004? Maybe?

National success could also drive patriotism to the arts, artists may want to compete or throw their hat in the ring when they usually wouldn't.

The same could apply the other way around as well.

Latvia winning Eurovision for a small nation was a huge achievement. From the footballers' perspective, if their small nation could win that Contest, they could beat Turkey as well no? Pride and belief can do remarkable things.

Pure coincidence

There is a limited amount of nations who win Eurovision and a limited number who win major football tournaments. No doubt there will be cross-over with those larger nations who do well.

Amar pelos dois was like a lightning strike out of nowhere for Portugal, Spain would have success on the football field and struggle at Eurovision. So, where there are connections there are also many nations who do well in one but woeful in the other.

The 2024 tournament

So could recent Eurovision Song Contest results connect to the Euros this year?

Recent Eurovision winners Switzerland and Ukraine will be competing but last year's champion Sweden will not.

Croatia is always a danger in football and they almost won Eurovision this year, could they connect?

Or could the winner of Eurovision 2025 come from a successful Euros nation?

Only time will tell!

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