Portugal football legend Eusebio, who was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup, has died at the age of 71.
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 Benfica striker’s nine goals at the 1966 World Cup in England included four against North Korea.
Widely considered one of the best players of all-time, he scored 733 times in 745 professional matches.
Famed for his blistering acceleration and dazzling dribbling skills, he was named European Footballer of the Year in 1965.
Eusebio won the European Cup with Benfica in 1962 and was in the side that lost to Manchester United in the 1968 Wembley final.
He won 10 league championships and five Portuguese cups in his 15 years at the club and was Portugal’s top league scorer between 1964 and 1973.
His goals in the 1966 World Cup helped his country to third place, after they were beaten 2-1 by eventual winners England in the semi-finals.
Portugal’s current top striker Cristiano Ronaldo was among those to pay tribute following the news of Eusebio’s death.
“Always eternal, Eusebio, rest in peace,” the Real Madrid and former Manchester United striker wrote on Twitter with a picture of both of them together.
Source: BBC
