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LONDON. — Portuguese football legend Eusebio has died. Eusebio, who was the top scorer in the 1966 World Cup, died early yesterday morning at the age of 71, his former club Benfica confirmed. The Mozambican-born Eusebio died of cardio-pulmonary arrest at 0430 GMT yesterday, the club said.
Born in Mozambique in 1942 when it was still a Portuguese colony, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira went on to play 64 times for Portugal, scoring 41 goals.
The forward scored an incredible 473 goals in 440 matches for Benfica, the Portuguese giants with whom he spent most of his career and won the European Cup in 1962.
He had been admitted to hospital several times over the past year for the treatment of heart and respiratory problems.
Famed for his blistering acceleration and dazzling dribbling skills, Eusebio was named European Footballer of the Year in 1965.
He also scored 41 goals in 64 appearances for the Portugal national team, helping them to third place in the 1966 World Cup in England – a tournament in which he was top goalscorer with nine goals.
He memorably scored four goals in the 5-3 quarter-final win over North Korea at Goodison Park.
Nicknamed the Black Panther, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira was famed for his speed, technique and a fearsome right-foot shot that earned him 733 goals in 745 competitive matches in his career.
He is widely considered to be one of the best players to ever grace a football pitch.
Eusebio won the Ballon d’Or in 1965 and was runner-up in 1962 and 1966.
At Benfica, he helped them to 11 Portuguese League titles and five Cups, as well as establishing them as a major European force.
In 1962, he scored twice in a remarkable 5-3 win over the all-conquering Real Madrid in the final in Amsterdam.
However, his three other appearances in the European Cup final ended in defeat. In 1963, he scored but Benfica lost 2-1 to AC Milan at Wembley; in 1965, Internazionale beat them 1-0 in the San Siro; and in 1968, Matt Busby’s Manchester United won 4-1 in extra time at Wembley.
He played his last match for Benfica in 1975 and played out his career largely in the North American Soccer League before finally hanging up his boots in 1980.
Current Portuguese hero Cristiano Ronaldo led the tributes, tweeting a picture of the pair and writing “Always eternal #Eusebio, rest in peace.”
Another former Portugal star, Luis Figo, also tweeted a picture with Eusebio and called him “the King!”
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho called him one of his country’s “great figures”. Mourinho told state broadcaster RTP: “I think he is immortal. We all know what he meant for football and especially for Portuguese football.
“He was not only a great inspiration but also an important figure in upholding the values, principles and feelings of football, even after finishing his career.”
Greg Dyke, chairman of the Football Association in England, said Eusebio and Brazilian striker Pele were the best-known international footballers in the 1960s.
“He was the (Lionel Messi) or Ronaldo of his time,” Dyke told the BBC News Channel.
Eusebio Factfile
Name: Eusebio da Silva Ferreira
Date of birth: 25 January 1942
Date of death: 5 January 2014
Place of birth: Maputo, Mozambique
Nationality: Portuguese
Height: 1,75m
Weight: 73kg
Position: Striker
Clubs: Lourenco Marques (MOZ/1957-1960), Benfica (POR/1960-1975), Boston Minutemen (USA/1975), Monterrey (MEX/1975-1976), Toronto Metros-Croatia (CAN/1976), Beira Mar (POR/1976-1977), Las Vegas Quicksilver (USA/1977), Tomaar (POR/D2/1977-1978), New Jersey Americans (USA/D2/1978-1979)
International career:
Number of caps: 64
Goals: 41
First cap: 8 October 1961 (Luxembourg-Portugal 2-4)
Achievements:
World Cup: 3rd (1966)
European Cup/Champions League: 1962
Portuguese league titles: 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975
Portuguese Cup titles: 1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1972
North American Soccer League (NASL) title: 1976
Goals scored: 733 in 745 professional matches
Individual honours:
European Footballer of the Year: 1965
Top scorer 1966 World Cup (nine goals)
European Golden Boot : 1968, 1973
Top scorer in Portuguese league: 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1973: — Mailonline
Online Reporter