Italy’s Lucio Corsi captivated audiences at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, securing a commendable fifth-place finish with his song Volevo essere un duro. The track amassed a total of 256 points.
The performance of Corsi was lauded for its originality and emotional depth, resonating with both juries and viewers.
Austria’s JJ clinched the top spot with Wasted Love, a modern opera-pop fusion that earned 436 points. Israel’s Yuval Raphael followed in second place with New Day Will Rise, while Estonia’s Tommy Cash secured third with the controversial Espresso Macchiato. Sweden’s KAJ rounded out the top four with Bara Bada Bastu.
Corsi’s journey to Eurovision was unexpected; he was selected to represent Italy after Olly, the winner of this year’s Sanremo Music Festival, declined the opportunity. Despite this, Corsi’s Volevo essere un duro achieved significant success, becoming the most streamed Eurovision 2025 entry on Spotify with over 25 million streams. The song also earned Gold certification in Italy.
Italy’s strong showing continues its Eurovision success story. Previous victories came in 1964, 1990, and 2021, the latter courtesy of Måneskin.
