This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. For more information or to change your settings, click here.
Known as "The Black Panther", "The Black Pearl", the "European Pelé" or simply "The King", Eusébio (Wikipedia) was a prolific goalscorer for both the Portugal national side and the club team SL Benfica.
Born Eusébio da Silva Ferreira in Lourenço Marques, Mozambique on 25th January 1942, he moved to Lisbon, Portugal, on 15th December, 1960. He signed for Benfica in May 1961.
Eusébio scored 473 goals in 440 competitive matches for Benfica, averaging over 1.0 goals per game. In total he scored 727 goals in 715 matches total for Benfica, again an average of better than 1.0 goals per game.
While playing for Benfica, Eusébio helped the team win the European Champions' Cup in 1962, and reached a further 3 Finals of the European Champions' Cup, in 1963, 1965 and 1968. He also won 11 Portuguese League top flight titles, in 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975; and also achieved 5 Portuguese Cup wins: 1962, 1964, 1969, 1970 and 1972.
Eusébio finished as top scorer in the European Champions' Cup in 1965 (9 goals, and level with fellow Benfica player José Torres, who also scored 9 goals); in 1966 (7 goals, level with Ferencváros player Flórián Albert); and in 1968 (6 goals).
Eusébio scored 41 goals in 64 games played for Portugal. He won the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 1965. In 1966, he helped the Portugal national team reach the Semi-Finals of the World Cup; he scored 9 goals in the competition, winning him the Golden Boot for being the highest scorer of that World Cup.
Eusébio died of heart failure on the 5th January, 2014. The Portuguese government declared 3 days of mourning, a testament to how important Eusébio had been to both Portuguese club football and the Portuguese national team, as well as being one of the most recognized and celebrated Portuguese people ever. Tributes were paid from across the footballing world, as well as by hundreds of thousands of Portuguese citizens.
Eusébio's memory was honored in even more ways. On the 9th January, 4 days after his death, his coffin was transported around Benfica's stadium. A year after his death, the street in front of the Estádio da Luz was renamed in his honor. After a unanimous government vote, his remains were moved to the "National Pantheon", where significant Portuguese personalities are buried.
Finally, in 2019, Pope Francis paid tribute to Eusébio on a visit to Mozambique.
You can find out more about Eusébio's individual honours here.
Portuguese Club Teams Domestically
Portuguese Club Teams in Europe
Portuguese Players Domestically
Portuguese Players in Club Teams in Europe
Portugal National Team History