By Mitch Rice
The Eurovision Song Contest is unquestionably the biggest event of its kind in the world. Each year, 26 countries compete for the ultimate accolade of being crowned winners before a live international audience in excess of 180 million people. No doubt a sizable share of those tuning in will be seeking to use offers on odds like those provided by comparison platform oddschecker to back their favourite song and nation for victory, with Sweden and Israel currently considered favourites to walk away with the top prize.
But throughout Eurovision’s prestigious 66 year run, which countries have won the most? It’s undeniable that certain nations appear to have a knack for picking songs to represent them that resonate with the wider field. Let’s take a look at the most successful of these below.
Five Wins
In the history of the competition, plenty of countries have managed to walk away with a single win, but far fewer have managed to repeat the accolade. How much rarer is it, then, to win the competition a total of five times?
Surprisingly, four countries have succeeded in this very act. First of these is Luxembourg – which won in 1961, 1965, 1972, 1973 and 1983 – but hasn’t competed again since 1993. Then France, which took the grand prize in 1958, 1960, 1962, 1969 and 1977. Next comes The Netherlands, who won as recently as 2019, in addition to historic victories in 1957, 1959, 1969 and 1975; and the United Kingdom, who won in 1967, 1969, 1976, 1981, 1997.
Keen eyed readers will no doubt have noticed 1969 appearing multiple times here. That’s because that year was a historic four-way win between France, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Spain. If one were to dock this from the overall rankings, Luxembourg would emerge as the only true winner of five contests to date.
Six Wins
It should come as no surprise that the country that could call on the musical wonder of ABBA to represent it should know a thing or two about catchy pop music. Sweden has won the competition a stunning six times, in 1974, 1984, 1991, 1999, 2012 and 2015. In light of this, it makes sense that they’re among the bookies’ favourites to carry this year’s crown.
Seven Wins
Only one country so far has won the competition seven times, and that is the lyrical nation of Ireland. This green land of bards and folk songs seems uniquely skilled at producing world-striding musical talent, and its Eurovision rap sheet is but a further feather in its bow. Ireland has won to date in the 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996 competitions. All told, this means that the Emerald Isle has walked away with the top prize over 10% of the time!
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