Portuguese singer Salvador Sobral performs during the rehearsal ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Grand Final at the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Ukraine, May 12, 2017. Salvador Sobral won the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with his song "Amar pelos dois" here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Chen Junfeng)
KIEV, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese singer Salvador Sobral won the 62nd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest here on Saturday night with an emotional and romantic song Amar Pelos Dois (Love For Both) written by his sister, Luisa Sobral.
During the final held at the International Exhibition Center in Kiev, Sobral gained 758 points, winning the highest possible score from the judges and the second highest score from the public vote.
Bulgaria's Kristian Kostov took the second place with 615 points, followed by Moldova's participant with 374 points.
Before Saturday's victory, Portugal had not won the Eurovision Song Contest. Its best placing was sixth in 1996.
A total of 26 singers participated in this year's Grand Final of the Eurovision. The race was viewed by more than 204 million TV audience in European countries and other countries across the globe.
"The Eurovision is the most famous song contest in the world. Each time millions of people from all over Europe, and recently from Australia as well, freeze in front of their TV screens rooting for their countries," said Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ahead of the contest.
Ukraine was granted the right to host Eurovision 2017 after its singer Susana Jamaladinova, who uses the stage name Jamala, won Eurovision 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2016.
