Eusebio became Portugal's first world-famous footballer in the 1960s and early 1970s. Playing for Benfica of Lisbon and the Portuguese national team, Eusebio rose to the status of a Portuguese national icon and did much to inspire the later sporting careers of Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Eusebio da Silva Ferreira was born in Lourenço Marques (now Maputo) Mozambique (then a Portuguese colony) in 1942. Nicknamed the "Black Pearl" or the "Black Panther", Eusebio spent the majority of his playing career with Benfica and is still the club's all-time leading scorer with a remarkable 317 goals in 301 appearances from 1960-1975.
Eusebio was named European Footballer of the Year in 1965 and was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup in England with nine goals.
Eusebio signed for Benfica as an 18-year-old striker and burst into the limelight with two goals in the European Cup final of 1962 against Real Madrid.
After a glittering 15-year career with Benfica, Eusebio played out his career with the lower division SC Beira-Mar and União de Tomar and with various teams in the North American Soccer League (NASL) and a short stint in Mexico with CF Monterrey.
Eusebio played for the Boston Minutemen (1975), Toronto Metros-Croatia (1976) and Las Vegas Quicksilver (1977) during his time in NASL, before injuries forced him to quit.
During his long career, Eusebio scored over 1,000 goals including 41 goals in 64 matches
for the Portuguese national team. Eusebio remains a hugely respected figure in Portuguese football and is remembered not just as a great footballer but also as a great sportsman.
