Portugal football legend Eusebio dies - CNN.com Portugal football legend Eusebio dies By Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Isa Soares, CNN updated 5:54 PM EST, Sun January 5, 2014 STORY HIGHLIGHTS Eusebio, 71, died from a heart attack, former club says The striker was considered one of the sport's greatest players Eusebio was top scorer at 1966 World Cup Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo among those to pay tribute (CNN) -- Portugal football legend Eusebio, who was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup, died at the age of 71, his former club Benfica said Sunday. He died from a heart attack, the Lisbon side said on its website. The striker, affectionately known as the "Black Panther," was admired throughout the Portuguese-speaking world and was thought to be among the sport's greatest players. "Always eternal #Eusebio, rest in peace," Real Madrid forward and current Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo tweeted alongside a picture of both men together.

Portugal's former world player of the year, Luis Figo, tweeted that Eusebio was the "king" while Brazil's Pele, considered by many to be the best footballer of all time, tweeted that Eusebio was like a "brother" to him. "May God receive him with open arms," said Pele. Eusebio, whose full name was Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, played for three North American Soccer League teams in the twilight of his career but is best known for his exploits in 15 years at Benfica. Born in 1942 in Mozambique, which was then a Portuguese territory, he scored 41 goals in 64 appearances for his adopted country. Named European Footballer of the Year in 1965, Eusebio won widespread acclaim the following year at the World Cup in England. He scored nine goals in the competition, helping his team reach the semifinals. World Cup scorer He scored two goals as Portugal eliminated defending champions Brazil in the group stage, then netted four times in an incredible quarterfinal comeback against North Korea as his side rallied from 3-0 down to win 5-3 in one of the tournament's most famous matches.

Eusebio scored again in the semifinals against England, but the hosts won 2-1 before beating Germany in the final. "His talent brought joy for entire generations, even those who didn't live through the most glorious moments of his career," Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva told Portuguese television. World football body FIFA said Eusebio was considered "one of the best footballers of all time and best ever from Portugal." "Football has lost a legend," FIFA president Sepp Blatter tweeted as the tributes continued. "But Eusebio's place among the greats will never be taken away." Added UEFA president Michel Platini: "On the field, Eusebio was a true legend, both in the colors of Portugal and Benfica," he told UEFA's website. "But also off it, he was a true ambassador for Portuguese football on the international stage. He was more than a footballer. A good and charming man, Eusebio will be sadly missed." During his career with Benfica, the Lisbon side won the European Cup in 1962. He scored 733 times in 745 professional matches, according to FIFA.

He won 10 league titles and five Portuguese cups with the Eagles and was Portugal's top league scorer between 1964 and 1973. "We're saddened to hear Benfica legend Eusebio has passed away," tweeted Manchester United. "He was a fantastic player and a friend of the club." 1973 4 3 Total 64 41 “Every time he crossed the pitch to go to the bench, the crowd used to give him a standing ovation and it was a huge thing for me to be his friend and watch all the support he got from the fans.” Eusebio, nicknamed the ‘Black Panther’, led Portugal to a third-place finish at the 1966 World Cup but his agility and speed made him one of Europe's most dangerous forwards for most of a career that lasted two decades. He was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1965 and twice won the Golden Boot, in 1968 and 1973, for being top scorer in Europe. Gomes rues the fact that he could not see Eusebio play but getting the help and support in terms of coaching have benefitted him immensely.

“Because of my age, I never saw him playing live. I only saw videos but for me he was like a God of football. I arrived at Benfica aged just 22 so I was a kid talking to him. He was like a coach a young player would listen to and take his advice on-board. “He was always trying to help me score goals. Eusebio was a fighter and he was always telling us to 'never give up'.” Eusebio’s dedication and love for the sport and his performance on the field made him a true legend, according to Antonio Simoes who played with Eusebio at Benfica and the national team. “Eusebio was a very demanding person on the field and a very friendly and tolerant person outside,” Simoes said. “He was a piece of art as a football player. His love and passion for the game was immense. He was humble and modest which made him a truly great human being as well.” Eusebio was born in Maputo, the Mozambican capital, during the Second World War when the southeast African country was still a Portuguese colony.

He came from a poor family but sparkled for his local team and was lured to Portugal by Benfica when he was 18. Known for his unpretentious and easy manner as well as his courage and ball skills, his popularity in Portugal was such that in 1964, when Italian clubs offered to buy Eusebio for sums that were astronomical for the time. “He’s a legend, the way he achieved everything he wanted in his career and in his personal life. He was a true champion and an ambassador of the people,” Gomes added. Eusebio's statue With Benfica, Eusebio won 11 Portuguese league titles and five Portuguese Cups and remains the club's best-known player. A bronze statue of him, poised to kick a ball, stands outside Benfica's Stadium of Light. Eusebio stayed on at Benfica as an assistant coach after his retirement and traveled widely with the Portuguese national side as a paid football ambassador. A player of suh stature, news of his death came as a huge shock to everyone, including Gomes. “When I first saw the news I thought 'no it's not possible, he can't die, he's like a God',” Gomes added.

“Eusebio is the kind of person who will never die, he will be remembered forever.” Manuela Lanza is a Lisbon-based Italo-Spanish journalist with an MA in International Journalism at City University London with a concentration on broadcast. Follow her on Twitter @ManuelaNEWS Source: Al Jazeera and agencies Related Eusebio Biography - Birthday, Kickoff, Story, Score Eusebio Biography Download match schedule for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil in PDF, XLS and DOC formats. Name 25th January, 1942 Played For Clubs: Sporting de Lourenco Marques, Benfica, Boston Minutemen, Monterrey, Toronto Metros- Croatia, Beira- Mar, Las Vegas Quicksilvers, Uniao de Tomar, New Jersey Americans Team World Cup Played Played 1966 World Cup KICKOFF : Don't take me wrong if I say 'Black Panther' was a renowned football player in Portugal. Yes, we are talking about Eusebioda Silva Ferreira, the man who scored 9 goals in the 1966 World Football Cup and was also the top goal scorer of the mega tournament.

The living legend has been regarded as one of the best footballers of all time and the 9th best footballer of the 20th century by International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). He has won several titles for his country in his spectacular soccer career. HIS-STORY : Eusebio was born on 25th January, 1942 in the Mafalala neighborhood of Lourenco Marques in Mozambique. His parents were Laurindo Antonia da Silva Ferreira, a white Angolan railroad worker and Elisa Anissabeni, a black Mozambican woman. Brought up in a poor society, Eusebio started polishing his skills at a very early age when he used to skip school classes for playing football barefooted. The ball was made up of socks and newspapers. When he was eight years old his father died from Tetanus and his mother, Elisa took the responsibility of parental care of Eusebio. The young boy started playing for a local amateur team called as The Brazilians. With his friends he struggled very hard to get enlisted in his favorite team GrupoDesportivo de Lourenco de Marques but in vain.

Later on he got a chance to prove his mettle in the club Sporting Clube de Lourenco Marques. He says when he was 15 years old he was spotted by a former goalkeeper of Juventus Football Club of Italy who wanted to hire him. The club proposed but his mother was against the proposal. He then joined Benfica from his local club and started another phase of his career. There, the Benfica football club discovered his potential due to the efforts of former Brazilian football player Jose Carlos Bauer, who spotted him in his club Lourenco Marques in 1960. Bauer recommended Eusebio first to his former club Sao Paulo but was unsuccessful in his attempt. Later on he talked to former coach Bela Guttmann for Eusebio. The extraordinary capability of Eusebio to run 100m in 11 seconds and his possessing the largest circumference around his quadriceps which was ever seen in any footballer was his major strength. Both Sporting Clube de Lourenco Marques and Sporting Clube de Lourenco Portugal disputed the legality of the transfer.

Eusebio says he used to "play in Sporting's feeder club in Mozambique and Benfica wanted to hire him while Sporting Clube de Portugal wanted to take him as a junior player just for experience without any monetary reward. Benfica went a step ahead and talked to his mother for hiring him for three years with €1000, but his brother demanded double the amount. Benfica paid the amount and signed the contract." SCORE BOARD : Known by the nickname Black Panther, Black Pearl and The King (O Rei) in Portugal, Eusebio scored a total of 733 goals in 745 matches in its career. Out of his 22 years of football career, he played 15 years for Benfica. He was known for his lightning fast acceleration, athleticism and accurate right-footed shot which made him one of the most outstanding strikers of his era.With his finest techniques, he helped his team to finish at third place in the 1966 World Football Cup.

Playing for Benfica, he also won the European Cup title (1961-62) and finished runners-up three times (1962-63, 1964-65 and 1967-68). Besides this, he was also the top scorer in the same tournament in 1965, 1966 and 1968. He has also won 11 titles in Portuguese Championship from 1961-75 and five Portuguese Cup title from 1962-1972. He has won Ballon d'Or award in 1965 and runner-up twice in 1962 and 1966. His name often appears amongst best players of all time lists and polls conducted by critics and fans. Pele, the Brazilian legendary footballer, named Eusebio in his list of 125 best living footballers of the world in 2004. He was also selected as the "Golden Player" of Portugal by the Portuguese Football Federation as their most outstanding footballer in the last five decades.

Besides, he also won the Bola de Prata award seven times which is a national record up until today and was the first ever footballer to win the European Golden Boot award in 1968 and again in 1973. He has been bestowed with several special awards in his lifetime like World Soccer's Selection of the 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time, FIFA 100 and UEFA President's Award etc. He was also being honored as 'Africa's greatest footballer. EXTRA TIME : Eusebio passed away on 5th January 2014, leaving behind his wife Flora and two children. Despite being retired from the game of soccer, Eusebio is still associated with the Portuguese national football team as a technical committee member. He is unquestionably the biggest star in Portuguese football history, which is affirmed by his statue outside Benfica's Estadio da Luz. Benfica honors the living legend every year with the Eusebio Cup, an annual pre-season match between the Portuguese club and any other highly regarded international opponent. TIE BREAKER : Eusebios is undoubtedly the greatest player to have played for Portugal. He is still an inspiration for many.

Best Soccer Players in the World 2013 pancocojams: Video Tributes To Eusebio, Soccer (Football) Player Video Tributes To Eusebio, Soccer (Football) Player Edited by Azizi Powell This post features excerpts from articles about the great Afro-Portuguese soccer (football) player Eusebio (January 25, 1942- January 5, 2014). Two video tributes to Eusebio are also showcased in this post. This post is presented as a means of introducing people like me to Eusebio and also celebrating his life for those who had previously known about him. All copyrights remain with their owners. **** From "Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, GCIH, GCM (Portuguese pronunciation: [ewˈzɛbiu ðɐ ˈsiɫvɐ fɨˈʁɐjɾɐ]; 25 January 1942 – 5 January 2014), commonly known simply as Eusébio, was a Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward.

He is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time.[2][3] During his professional career, he scored 733 goals in 745 matches.[3] He helped the Portuguese national team reach third place at the 1966 World Cup, being the top goalscorer of the tournament with nine goals (including four in one match against North Korea)[4] and received the Bronze Ball award. He won the Ballon d'Or award in 1965 and was runner-up in 1962 and 1966. He played for Benfica for 15 years out of his 22 as a footballer, thus being mainly associated with the Portuguese club, and is the team's all-time top scorer with 638 goals scored in 614 official games.

There, he won eleven Primeira Liga titles, five Taça de Portugal titles, a European Cup (1961–62) and helped them reach three additional European Cup finals..." **** From LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Eusebio, the Portuguese soccer star who was born into poverty in Africa but became an international sporting icon and was voted one of the 10 best players of all time, has died aged 71, his longtime club Benfica said.... Eusebio da Silva Ferreira became affectionately known as the Black Panther for his athletic prowess and clinical finishing that made him one of the world's top scorers during his heyday in the 1960s for Benfica and the Portuguese national team. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment was to lead Portugal to a third-place finish at the 1966 World Cup, but his agility and speed made him one of Europe's most dangerous forwards for most of a career that lasted two decades. He was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1965 as Europe's player of the year and twice won the Golden Boot — in 1968 and 1973 — for being top scorer in Europe.

According to football's world governing body FIFA, he scored 679 goals in a total of 678 official games... In 1998, a panel of 100 experts gathered by FIFA named him in its International Football Hall of Fame as one of the sport's top 10 all-time greats. "Look, there are only two black people on the list: me and Pele," Eusebio commented on the honor, referring to the Brazilian great who was a friend. "I regard that as a great responsibility because I am representing Africa and Portugal, my second homeland." Eusebio was born in Maputo, the Mozambican capital, during the Second World War when the southeast African country was still a Portuguese colony. He came from a poor family but sparkled for his local team and was lured by Benfica to Portugal when he was 18.

Known for his unpretentious and easy manner as well as his courage and ball skills, his popularity in Portugal was such that in 1964, when Italian clubs offered to buy Eusebio for sums that were astronomical for the time, the country's then-dictator, Antonio Salazar, decreed that the player was a "national treasure" — meaning that he could not be sold abroad. "A football genius and example of humility, an outstanding athlete and generous man, Eusebio was for all sports fans and for all Portuguese an example of professionalism, determination and devotion to the colors of the national jersey and of Benfica," Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho said in a statement. In a playing career unparalleled in Portugal, Eusebio was a cornerstone of the Benfica team that won back-to-back European titles in the early 1960s.... Eusebio then moved to North America where he spent the last years of his career playing for the Boston Minutemen, Toronto Metros, Las Vegas Quicksilver and Buffalo Stallions through 1980.

Eusebio stayed on at Benfica as an assistant coach after his retirement and traveled widely with the Portuguese national side as a paid "soccer ambassador.""... **** Example #1: Eusébio | R.I.P Tribute | (1942-2014) FootballTv776Published on Jan 5, 2014 Eusébio | R.I.P Tribute | 1942-2014 (Rip) RIP Eusebio: A true legend for Portugal & Benfica Descansa em Paz Pantera Negra Homenagem a Eusébio mais conhecido por " Pantera Negra " Eusébio - The Black Panther "Sempre eterno Eusébio, descansa em paz" -- Cristiano Ronaldo "Uma das grandes figuras do futebol português, uma das grandes figuras de Portugal, Eusébio é mais do que uma figura do futebol, Eusébio é Portugal". "[Se hoje jogasse]seria uma coisa assombrosa" -- José Mourinho "Eusébio era como se fosse meu filho.

Estou triste, triste, triste" - Mário Coluna, antigo jogador do Benfica e da selecção. [Google translate from Portuguese to English - "Eusebio was like my son I am sad, sad, sad." - Mario Column, former Benfica player and selection. " "The king!! Grande perda para todos nos! O mais grande!! -- Luís Figo. [Great loss for all of us! The greatest!] "RIP Eusebio (1942-2014). One of the greats." -- Xabi Alonso "Estamos tristes por ter sabido que morreu Eusébio, lenda do Benfica. Ele era um jogador fantástico e um amigo do clube" -- Manchester United. [We are sad to (learn about the death of) Eusebio, Benfica legend.

He was a fantastic player and a friend of the club".] "De Eusébio vamos recordar o talento, o exemplo e o carácter de um homem que marcou o futebol português e se transformou numa referência do futebol mundial", SL Benfica ["(We remember Eusebio's) talent, the example and character of a man who marked the Portuguese football and became a reference in world football."] «Morreu um dos maiores símbolos da modalidade. O maior jogador português da sua geração e sobretudo um grande ser humano e um exemplo de fair-play. É um dia triste para o futebol português» [ (One of the greatest symbols of the sport died). The greatest Portuguese player of his generation and above all a great human being and an example of fair play. It is a sad day for Portuguese football] "Que triste notícia Deus. D.E.P Eusébio. Serás sempre recordado" -- Salvio. [What sad news God. (R.I.P) Eusebius. You'll always be remembered "] "Triste muito triste. Descansa em paz King. És eterno !!

RIP Eusébio" - Simão Sabrosa [Sad very sad. Rest in peace King. You are eternal] Some of Eusébio (1942-2014) greatest moments with Portugal & SL Benfica. Song: PIANOFORTE un uomo suona e RIFLETTE (TRIST ) A MAN PLAYING THE PIANO AND THINK ABOUT THE PAST (SAD) -snip- The words in parenthesis are my changes to the Google Translate words to standard American English. **** wwemaddave, Uploaded on Jul 13, 2011 One of the greatest footballers ever **** Thanks to Eusebio da Silva Ferreira for his athletic accomplishments and for being a positive role model. Rest In Peace. Thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Eusebio: Portugal says goodbye to football legend - CNN.com Eusebio: Portugal says goodbye to football legend By James Masters , CNN updated 5:51 AM EST, Tue January 7, 2014 Eusebio, the former Portugal and Benfica striker, passed away on Sunday January 5 after suffering a heart attack.

He is regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Born in Mozambique, which was under Portuguese rule at the time, Eusebio moved to Lisbon to play for Benfica. It was there that he won 11 league titles,five national cups and the 1962 European Cup. He scored 733 goals in 745 matches. "Portugal has today lost one of its most beloved sons, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira. The country mourns his death," President Anibal Cavaco Silva told state television. The government declared three days of mourning. Eusebio's coffin was taken to Benfica's stadium where fans gathered to pay their last respects. One of Eusebio's wishes was to have his body taken around the stadium so that supporters could say goodbye. While those who watched Eusebio in his pomp during the 1960s will never forget his grace and guile, there are those who have grown up with stories of the great man. The tales of his achievements have been handed down from generation to generation. Fans unfurled a banner with Eusebio's face on it as the coffin was paraded around the stadium.

It was not just fans of Benfica who were mourning Eusebio's passing. Supporters of rivals Sporting Lisbon put aside their differences to celebrate the life of the striker -- one of Portugal's most famous men. The coffin bearers place Eusebio's body down on a gold stand on the halfway line. The funeral takes place later Monday. HIDE CAPTION Eusebio, 71, died from a heart attack, former club says The striker was considered one of the sport's greatest players Portugal star was top scorer at 1966 World Cup Compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo among those to pay tribute (CNN) -- It started with a haircut. The year was 1960, and Bela Guttmann sat in his chair at the local barber's shop. Guttman, one of the most iconic football coaches of his day, had just led Portuguese club Benfica to the European Cup and achieved legendary status. But that was not enough for him -- he wanted more. While pondering his plans, a gentleman in the next chair, who happened to be visiting the country as coach of touring Brazilian side Sao Paulo, let Guttmann in on a little secret.

He told the Hungarian about "A Pantera Negra" -- the man they were calling "The Black Panther." A legend had begun to spread from Mozambique about a young player plying his trade with a youth team in the African country's capital, now known as Maputo, with links to Benfica's great rivals -- Sporting Lisbon. The son of a white Angolan railway worker and a black mother from the Mozambique community, Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was the name on everybody's lips. Was Portugal's Eusebio the best ever? Pele's dream World Cup matches Guttmann took no chances -- Eusebio's mother had already turned down the advances of Italian club Juventus, so he made the family an offer they could not refuse. The financial incentive worked and the player joined Benfica, much to the dismay of Sporting officials, who had dallied in their pursuit of the player. The rest, as they say, is history -- and what a history: 733 goals in 745 matches confirmed Eusebio's status as one of the all-time greats.

As Portugal said goodbye to one of its most famous sons Monday, following his death at the age of 71, thousands took to the streets to farewell a man who had brought joy and inspiration to a generation as the government declared three days of mourning. "As a man, he was quite humble, kind and very down to earth," said CNN's Duarte Mendonca , a Benfica supporter who was in Lisbon for the funeral. Tweets by @CNNFC "He had a tremendous amount of love for his club Benfica, for whom he served as an ambassador. "I've seen fans from various clubs, including longtime rivals, paying homage to a man they've learned to respect for his talent and flair, but also for his personality. Just had lunch where Eusebio used to come all the time. Adega da Tia Matilde. This places has so many stories... pic.twitter.com/8VY60Yb3W8 — Duarte Mendonça (@DuarteMendonca) January 6, 2014 "Only a man such as Eusebio would be able to unify fans in such fashion.

That says a lot." During an illustrious career in which he won 11 Portuguese league titles, five domestic cups and a European crown, Eusebio became a legend of world football. From the moment he entered national consciousness by helping Benfica retain the European Cup in 1962, where he scored twice in a thrilling 5-3 final win over Real Madrid in Amsterdam, the country began to fall in love with the man from Mozambique. His incredible acceleration and lethal right foot helped him take Benfica to the very top of the European game, while he was honored as the continent's best player by winning the Ballon d'Or in 1965. But it was at the 1966 World Cup that he became worldwide sensation as he produced a series of performances which brought adulation from from across the globe. His nine goals, the most by any player at the tournament, helped Portugal reach the semifinal where it was beaten by the host nation England, which eventually went on to win the tournament. Such was Eusebio's impact that Inter Milan reportedly offered the striker 40 times his salary to lure him away from Benfica and even approached his wife to sign the contract on his behalf.

The move was scuppered, however, in rather bizarre circumstances though, as Portuguese Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar refused Eusebio permission to leave the country. Instead, Eusebio remained at Benfica, scoring goals and helping his side reach the 1968 European Cup final, but this time losing to Manchester United at Wembley after extra-time. It was in that contest that Eusebio's sportsmanlike qualities shone through. With the game tied, Eusebio had the opportunity to win the contest but when his effort was brilliantly saved by United keeper Alex Stepney, the striker simply stood and applauded. It was a gesture which would not be forgotten. That same year, he won the European golden boot as the continent's top goalscorer -- a feat he repeated five years later. After leaving Benfica in 1975, Eusebio moved across the Atlantic to play in the U.S. before retiring in 1980 following ongoing problems with his right knee.

He continued to work in football as an ambassador for Benfica and Portugal's national side, meeting with high-profile players on European match nights and attending global tournaments on a regular basis until his death on January 5, 2014. He left behind his wife Flora and their two daughters. Eusébio's coffin at da Luz where he wanted it to be. The SLB President promised him one last trip around the stadium. pic.twitter.com/2sdqA3z8ww — Jan Hagen (@PortuBall) January 5, 2014 "I think he is immortal," Chelsea's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho told state broadcaster RTP. "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." Eusebio's status as Portugal's greatest football player was confirmed by the thousands who flocked to watch his coffin paraded through the streets of Lisbon. His statue, which stands proud outside Benfica's Stadium of Light, is adorned with scarves, flowers and banners from fans across the globe.

"I was the best player in the world, top scorer in the world," Eusebio once said. "I did everything, except win a World Cup." That he did not win one does not detract from the impact he made on Portugal and on football around the world. Always eternal #Eusebio , rest in peace pic.twitter.com/n25X0q9rfF — Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) January 5, 2014 Within moments of the news breaking that he had passed away following a heart attack, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo were paying tribute to "O Rei" -- the King. In Lisbon, despite the rain, fans continued to line the streets to say farewell as the black hearse moved slowly through the streets. "Even though my generation didn't see him play, through archive we were able to witness some of his brilliant skill," added Mendonca, who grew up listening to tales of Eusebio. "But even better than that, we were able learn about what he meant as a footballer and person through the stories of our parents and grandparents. "The way that he exploded on the pitch, with his fast pace combined with the power of his right foot, was simply unreal.

His attributes could easily make him a star even in today's game." Though he may now have passed away, Eusebio's legacy remains. A trailblazer who overcame poverty and early hardship in Africa to become one of the game's most talented and recognizable faces. It would appear that in barber shops in Lisbon, they'll be talking about Eusebio for many years to come. Part of complete coverage on Eusébio Eusébio Eusébio da Silva Ferreira Extra names: Эйсебио, Эузе́биу да Силва Ферре́йра Эузебиу, Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, Black Panther, the Black Pearl, or O Rei (The King) Categories: Person Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, GCIH, GCM (Portuguese pronunciation: [ewˈzɛbiu ðɐ ˈsiɫvɐ fɨˈʁɐjɾɐ]; 25 January 1942 – 5 January 2014), commonly known simply as Eusébio, was a Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward. He is considered one of the greatest footballers of all-time.

During his professional career, he scored 733 goals in 745 matches. He helped the Portuguese national team reach third place at the1966 World Cup, being the top goalscorer of the tournament with nine goals (including four in one match against North Korea) and received the Bronze Ball award. He won the Ballon d'Oraward in 1965 and was runner-up in 1962 and 1966. He played for Benfica for 15 years out of his 22 as a footballer, thus being mainly associated with the Portuguese club, and is the team's all-time top scorer with 638 goals scored in 614 official games. There, he won eleven Primeira Liga titles, five Taça de Portugal titles, a European Cup (1961–62) and helped them reach three additional European Cup finals. He was the European Cup top scorer in 1965, 1966 and 1968. He also won the Bola de Prata (Primeira Liga top scorer award) a record seven times.

He was the first ever player to win the European Golden Boot, in 1968, a feat he replicated in 1973. Nicknamed the Black Panther, the Black Pearl, or O Rei (The King) he was known for his speed, technique, athleticism and his ferocious, accurate right-footed shot, making him an outstanding prolific goalscorer and one of the greatest free-kick takers in history. He is considered Benfica's and Portugal's most renowned player and one of the first world-class African strikers. Although born in Mozambique and having an Angolan father, Eusébio, like Matateu and Mário Coluna, among others before him, could only play for the Portuguese team, since both of the African countries were overseas territories and their inhabitants were considered Portuguese. Eusébio's name often appears in best player of all time lists and polls by football critics and fans. He was elected the 9th best footballer of the 20th century in a poll by the IFFHS and the 10th best footballer of the 20th century in a poll by the World Soccermagazine.

Pelé named Eusébio as one of the 125 best living footballers in his 2004 FIFA 100 list. He was 7th in the online poll for UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. In November 2003, to celebrateUEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Portugal by the Portuguese Football Federation as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. He has been called "Africa's first great footballer" and "Africa's greatest-ever player". From his retirement to his death, Eusébio had been an ambassador of football and was one of the most recognizable faces of the sport. He is often praised for his known fair play and humbleness, even by opponents. There have been held several homages by FIFA, UEFA, thePortuguese Football Federation and Benfica in his honour.

Former Benfica and Portugal teammate and friend António Simões acknowledges his influence on Benfica and said: "With Eusébio maybe we could be European Champions, without him maybe we could win the League." Early life Eusébio was born in the Mafalala neighborhood, Lourenço Marques (now Maputo), Portuguese East Africa (now Mozambique) on 25 January 1942. Born to Laurindo António da Silva Ferreira, awhite Angolan railroad worker from Malanje and Elisa Anissabeni, a black Mozambican woman. He was Elisa's fourth child. Raised in an extremely poor society, he used to skip school classes to play barefoot football with his friends in improvised pitches and using improvised footballs. His father died from tetanus when Eusébio was 8-years-old, so Elisa almost exclusively took the parental care of young Eusébio.

Club career Early career He first started to play for a local amateur team called Os Brasileiros (The Brazilians), in honour of the great Brazilian team of the 1950s that he and his friends formed, they would play under the names of some of those superstars. The balls they used were made of socks and newspapers. He tried to enlist with some friends for the team Grupo Desportivo de Lourenço de Marques, his favourite team and a Benfica's feeder team, also the team where Mário Coluna had played for before his move to Benfica, but was rejected, without even being given a chance to prove his worth. He then tried his luck with Sporting Clube de Lourenço Marques, who accepted him. He has affirmed that he was spotted by a former Juventus goalkeeper turned scout when he was 15 years-old: "When I was 15, Juventus of Italy, wanted to hire me, because one of their scouts, who had been a famous Italian goalkeeper for them, saw me and told them that there was a boy with a potential, that it would be good to take advantage while I was still unknown. Juventus proposed but my mum never wanted to hear anything from anyone".

Eusébio played for two seasons with their youth team, while he made sporadic appearances in the senior team. There he won the Campeonato Provincial de Moçambique and the Campeonato Distrital de Lourenço Marques in his last season, in 1960. Benfica He moved to Lisbon in his late teens, after joining Benfica as an 18-year-old from his local club, Sporting Clube de Lourenço Marques, for 350,000$ PTE (equivalent to €136,000 in 2009). Benfica discovered Eusébio due to the efforts of former Brazilianplayer José Carlos Bauer, who saw him in Lourenço Marques in 1960. Eusébio could run the 100m in 11 seconds. Bauer recommended Eusébio first to his former club, São Paulo, but the Tricolor turned him down. Bauer then discussed Eusébio with his former coach in São Paulo, Béla Guttmann, who was coaching Benfica at the time.

By 17 December 1960, Eusébio arrived at Lisbon and was sent to Lagos, in the Algarve, with Benfica fearing a kidnapping operation by Sporting rivals. During his transfer he was codenamed Ruth Malosso. He remained there for 12 days, until the transfer upheaval would calm down. While he stayed in a hotel room he was warned for possible running-overs. Eusébio considered leaving Portugal, but his mother convinced him to stay. Eusébio had the largest circumference around his quadriceps of any footballer ever measured. The move was controversial however; Sporting Lourenço Marques was a subsidiary of Sporting Clube de Portugal and the two rivals disputed the legality of the transfer. According to Eusébio: "I used to play in Sporting's feeder club in Mozambique. Benfica wanted to pay me in a contract to go while Sporting wanted to take me [to Portugal] as a junior player for experience with no monetary reward.Benfica made a nice approach. They went to speak to my mum, my brother, and offered €1,000 for three years. My brother asked for double and they paid it.

They signed the contract with my mother and she got the money". Benfica only registered him on May the next year and Eusébio made his first appearance for them against Atlético Clube de Portugal in a friendly game on 23 May 1961. He scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 victory. His debut in an official match was on 1 June 1961, against V. Setúbal, in the 2nd leg of the Round 3 of the 1960/61 Portuguese Cup. This game was controversially scheduled to the following day of theEuropean Cup final against Barcelona and the Portuguese Football Federation didn't postpone the game; as the first team was returning from Berna, Benfica played with the reserve squad and was defeated 1–4. Eusébio scored a goal and missed a penalty (the first of only five he missed throughout his career), but wasn't enough to win overall the round (4–5 on aggregate).

On 10 June 1961, Eusébio played for the first time on the National Championship, the last matchday against Belenenses where he scored a goal in a 4–0 win. On June 15, Benfica played the final of the invitational Tournoi de Paris against Pelé's Santos and in the beginning of the second half, with Benfica down 0–4, Béla Guttmann decided to bring from the bench Eusébio to substituteSantana. Shortly after coming in, Santos reached 0–5, however between the 63rd and the 80th minute, Eusébio scored 3 goals and suffered a foul inside the penalty area, the penalty taker, José Augusto, failed to score though. The game finished 6–3 for Santos, with Eusébio being on the cover of the famed French sporting newspaper, L'Équipe. His following season was the one where he started to gain global recognition among football fans and critics alike.

He scored 12 goals in 17 league matches and even though the club finished third, they won the Portuguese Cup against Vitória de Setúbal, with Eusébio scoring two goals in the final. In that same season, he won the European Cup, also scoring two goals in the final againstReal Madrid in a 5–3 result to Benfica. Due to his fine form during the season, he finished second in the 1962 Ballon d'Or, in his first complete season as a professional. With Eusébio playing for Benfica, they were also European Cup runners-up in 1963, 1965 and 1968. In the 1968 defeat to Englishleague champions Manchester United at Wembley, with the scores 1–1, he came close to winning the game for Benfica in the dying seconds of the game, only to have his shot foiled by a spectacular Alex Stepney save.

Despite this, and the fact that the English side went on to win 4–1 in extra time, he openly congratulated Stepney for his efforts throughout the game, stopping to applaud Stepney, as he threw the ball back into play. In total, he has had a number of individual recognitions and awards while playing for Benfica. He was the 1965 European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or) and finished as runners-up twice, in 1962 and 1966, and in 1968 was the first winner of theGolden Boot Award, as Europe's leading scorer, a feat he repeated five years later.

He was the Portuguese First Division's top scorer seven times (1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1973), helping Benfica to 11 Primeira Liga wins (1960–1961, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–1967, 1967–1968, 1968–1969, 1970–1971, 1971–1972, 1972–1973 and 1974–1975), 5 Portuguese Cup wins (1961–1962, 1963–1964, 1968–1969, 1969–1970 and 1971–1972), 1 European Cup win (1961–1962)

 and 3 European Cup finals (1962–1963, 1964–1965 and 1967–1968).

He scored 638 goals in 614 matches wearing Benfica's jersey, including 319 goals in 313 Primeira Liga matches, 97 goals in 60 Taça de Portugal matches and 57 goals in 76 European competitions matches (65 games on European Cups, 7 games on the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and 4 games on the UEFA Cup).[15] He played 9 games in European and World National Teams – 4 for the FIFA team and 5 for the UEFA team and scored 8 goals. His last game with Benfica's shirt was on 18 June 1975, against the African team, in Casablanca. Alfredo Di Stéfano once said:To me, Eusébio will always be the best player of all time Later career In 1976–77 and 1977–78, Eusébio played for two minor Portuguese teams, Beira-Mar, in the First Division, and União de Tomar, in the Second Division.

He also played in the North American Soccer League (NASL), for three different teams, from 1975 to 1977: Boston Minutemen(1975), Toronto Metros-Croatia (1976, and the Las Vegas Quicksilvers (1977). His most successful season in the NASL was in 1976 with Toronto Metros-Croatia. He scored the winning goal in their 3–0 victory at the 76 Soccer Bowl to win the NASL title. The same year, he played ten games for Monterrey in the Mexican league. The following season (1977), he signed for the Las Vegas Quicksilvers. This was to be a very disappointing end to Eusébio's career. By this time, injuries had taken their toll on The Black Panther, and he was constantly receiving medical treatment whilst playing for the Quicksilver. During the season he only managed to score two goals. Although his knees robbed him of his ability to continue in the NASL, Eusébio wanted to continue to play soccer.

He found a home in 1978 with the New Jersey Americans of the second-tier American Soccer League (ASL). He was forced to retire for good at the end of the season. He played five games for the Buffalo Stallions during the 1979–1980 Major Indoor Soccer League season. In October 1963, he was selected to represent the FIFA team in the "Golden Anniversary" of the "Football Association" at Wembley Stadium. He retired in 1979 and formed part of the technical committee of the Portugal national football team. International career Eusébio was the all-time leading scorer for his country, with 41 goals in 64 matches, until Pauleta equalled and surpassed his record against Latvia on 12 October 2005. Eusébio was also the most capped Portuguese player from 1972, until Tamagnini Nené made his 64th cap against Yugoslavia on 2 June 1984 in a friendly match, breaking Eusébio's record during the UEFA Euro 1984 on 20 June against Romania.

He made his debut for the Portuguese national team against Luxembourg on 8 October 1961, a match his country lost 4–2, with the player scoring his country's first goal in the match. 1966 World Cup

Question: Former football player Eusebio, who died in January 2014, played for which national team?
Answer: Portugal