Portuguese football legend Eusebio died of cardiac arrest early Sunday morning here at the age of 71.

Eusebio played in Benfica for 15 years and was considered one of the best players ever in Portugal and also in the world, reports Xinhua.

Eusebio da Silva Ferreira was born on Jan 25, 1942 in Mozambique’s capital Maputo.

The forward scored an incredible 473 goals in 440 matches for Benfica, the Portuguese giants with whom he spent most of his career and won the European Cup in 1962.

He helped Portugal win third place in the 1966 World Cup with the highest score of nine goals, for which he received the Golden Boot.

He was known as “Black Panther” for his speed, his technique and his powerful kick with the right foot. In his entire career he scored 733 goals in 745 official matches.

  Eusebio, football, Portuguese