Before September 1 hits and we get sucked into everything Eurovision, we wanted to take the opportunity to give our readers a chance to get to know our team a bit better. There’s no other way to do this other than to do a series where we introduce ourselves. This time, we introduce Mateo, who will be our new staff writer.
Hi there! My name is Mateo, and I’m a current college student studying Political Science. I was born and raised in Spain, but I moved to the United States three years ago. I’m so excited to join the That Eurovision Site team!
Name: Mateo Perez Presmanes
Age: 21
Pronouns: He/Him
Socials:
- Instagram: @mppresmanes
How did I get into the Eurovision Song Contest?
Believe it or not, it was my grandma who first introduced me to Eurovision. She is a massive fan of the contest. In 2012, when I was just seven years old, she forced me to watch the grand final with my grandpa and my mom. I was immediately captivated. Although I don’t remember much from that day, I will never forget Russia’s entry that year—”Party For Everybody”—which came second. Since then, I have watched all the semi-finals and grand finals.
At what point did I consider myself a “Eurofan”?
There are two important moments that certify my status as a “eurofan”. The first one was in 2014, when I forced my dad, who absolutely hates Eurovision, to watch the final with me. I knew then that Eurovision was something I really cared about, so much so that I was ready to have a fight with my father over it.
The second turning point was 2024, when I discovered that national finals were a thing and decided to sit at my desk every Saturday from January until early March to watch as many of them as possible. That year, I also discovered that Junior Eurovision was a thing and that I had somehow missed it for years. To make up for this, I’ve watched every edition and made a playlist with my favourite entries. It was a really nice surprise to see that my country (Spain) doesn’t suck as much as in adult Eurovision.
How has my life changed since becoming a “Eurofan”?
Eurovision has become such an important part of my life. As a Political Student interested in cultural diplomacy, the contest provides the best (and worst) model of international cooperation possible. I also love that Eurovision has made me a more curious person and has encouraged me to open my mind and learn more about different languages and cultures. It is also great to be able to brag in front of my friends that I know all the European flags.
However, what I like most about Eurovision is the community. True, we Eurofans can get a little messy when our favorite national final entry doesn’t win, but I’ve found the Eurovision community to be extremely welcoming and friendly. It has been amazing to meet other queer people like me who are as passionate about the contest as I am.
What are my favourite Eurovision songs and countries?
To be entirely honest, I don’t think I have a favorite Eurovision country. I tend to gravitate more towards Balkan countries, especially Slovenia and Croatia, but some of my favorite songs are from Western European countries. In terms of songs, as you’ll see below, I have a really weird music taste. You’ll always find me listening to the “jokiest” joke entry followed by the most serious song in the history of the contest. Here are the Eurovision songs that I have on repeat at the moment:
- 🇱🇻 Latvia (2008) – Pirates Of The Sea with ‘Wolves Of The Sea’
- 🇦🇹 Austria (2012) – Trackshittaz with ‘Woki Mit Deim Popo’
- 🇮🇪 Ireland (2008) – Dustin The Turkey with ‘Irlande Douze Pointe’
- 🇭🇷 Croatia (2026) – LELEK with ‘Andromeda’
- 🇸🇮 Slovenia (2024) – Raiven with ‘Veronika’
And, just for fun, here are my favourite songs from Junior Eurovision:
- 🇪🇸 Spain (2021) – Levi Díaz with ‘Reír’
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands (2017) – Fource with ‘Love Me’
- 🇮🇪 Ireland (2019) – Anna Kearney with ‘Banshee’
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands (2019) – Matheu with ‘Dans Met Jou’
- 🇦🇱 Albania (2017) – Ana Kodra with ‘Don’t Touch My Tree’
What are my favourite National Final songs?
There are so many songs that it’s hard to only choose a few. Here are the ones I felt were most robbed in the year they competed:
- 🇫🇮 Antti Paalanen with ‘Takatukka’ (UMK 2026 – Finland)
- 🇮🇹 Ermal Meta with ‘Vietato Morire’ (Sanremo 2017 – Italy)
- 🇸🇪 Dolly Style with ‘Habibi’ (Melodifestivalen 2019 – Sweden)
- 🇱🇹 VB Gang with ‘KABOOM!!!’ (Eurovizija.LT 2024 – Lithuania)
- 🇪🇸 Xuso Jones with ‘Victorious’ (Objetivo Eurovisión 2016 – Spain)
What am I looking forward to in the next Eurovision season?
I can’t wait for Eurovision Asia! There have been so many rumours about this for so many years, so it’s great that it’s finally happening. I know myself, and I’m sure I’ll end up watching all the national finals and getting extremely mad if my favorite doesn’t win.
I’m also really excited to see Canada participate in Eurovision. This news caught me completely off-guard, so I look forward to seeing what they bring to the table. It would be a dream come true to see Avril Lavigne sing on the Eurovision stage!
Do you agree with Mateo’s opinions? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, Tumblr, Bluesky, and Zoop for more information about Eurovision 2027!
Molly Kirkpatrick 
Emma Walton 
DimaGorbatenko05