Black Panther passes away
Portuguese great Eusebio, top scorer at the 1966 World Cup, died on Sunday from a heart attack at the age of 71 with the small Iberian nation mourning him as an "eternal symbol" of their football pride.
Regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, the player known as the "Black Panther", died after suffering cardio-pulmonary arrest early on Sunday morning.
He had been hospitalised several times in recent years with various health problems and had suffered a stroke in June 2012.
The death of the charismatic striker, who was idolised throughout the Portuguese-speaking world and considered one of the game's greatest players was confirmed by former club Benfica and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).
"Portugal is mourning. Eusebio, the King of Portugal's 1966 team and the eternal symbol of the country, national team and Benfica passed away," the FPF said in a statement.
Eusebio, whose full name was Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, was European Footballer of the Year in 1965 but won global acclaim a year later at the World Cup in England, where his nine goals helped Portugal reach the semi-finals.
He earned 64 caps and scored 41 goals for Portugal, records that stood for almost two decades.
Nicknamed the 'Black Panther', Eusebio was a European Cup winner with Benfica in 1962 and played in three other finals, including the loss to Manchester United at Wembley in 1968.
Eusebio helped Benfica to 11 Portugues championships and later served as an 'ambassador' for the club. He scored more than 300 league goals for the Lisbon outfit.
Eusebio hailed from Lourenco Marques, now Maputo, in colonial Mozambique and as a teenage prodigy was expected to join Benfica's great rivals Sporting Lisbon but changed his mind at the last minute.
Eusebio ended his career playing in the U.S. but returned to Portugal to various roles with Benfica and the Portuguese federation. He was referred to as the "O Rei" (the king) in his later years, enjoying widespread affection.
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