Eusébio

The Black Panther — Benfica's greatest ever player and the first truly global African football star. Born in Mozambique, he scored 733 goals in 745 matches for Benfica and won the 1962 European Cup. His nine goals at the 1966 World Cup in England won him the Golden Boot and his tearful exit after Portugal's semi-final defeat to England is one of football's most poignant images. Widely regarded as the finest European striker of the 1960s.

Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was born in Lourenço Marques, Mozambique (then a Portuguese colony) in 1942 and began at Sporting Lourenço Marques (1957–60) before Benfica (1960–1975). He spent 15 seasons in Lisbon, scoring 638 goals in 614 appearances and winning 11 Portuguese titles and the 1962 European Cup. He earned 64 Portugal caps scoring 41 goals. His top speed of 32.3 km/h and the power of his right-foot shot made him the most feared striker in Europe during the 1960s. He won the World Cup Golden Boot at the 1966 tournament in England with 9 goals, including 4 in a quarter-final comeback against North Korea. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1965 and the European Golden Boot in 1968. He scored 733 career goals in 871 appearances. He provided 242 career assists. After Benfica, he played in North America and briefly in Europe before retiring in 1980. He died in January 2014 aged 71. He is commemorated by a statue outside Benfica's Estádio da Luz. He is considered the greatest Portuguese footballer of all time and the first globally celebrated African-born footballer.

Explosive pace, powerful right foot, clinical finishing, and ability to score from long range

Considered one of the greatest footballers of all time and Portugal's finest player before Cristiano Ronaldo

• European Cup 1962 (Benfica)
• Primeira Liga 11x
• Taça de Portugal 5x
• World Cup Golden Boot 1966 (9 goals)
• Ballon d'Or 1965
• European Golden Boot 1968
• European Cup 1962
• World Cup Golden Boot 1966