Eusébio
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was born on the 25th of January 1942 in the Mafalala neighbourhood of Lourenço Marques, now Maputo. He grew up in extreme poverty within Portuguese Mozambique. His father worked as a white railroad worker from Malanje while his mother Elisa Anissabeni was a black Mozambican woman. The family lived in an impoverished area where young Eusébio often skipped school classes to play barefoot football with friends. They used improvised pitches and balls made from socks stuffed with newspapers rolled into spheres. His father died from tetanus when Eusébio was eight years old in 1950. This left his widowed mother to raise him almost exclusively alone. He studied only until the fourth grade which he concluded through a final exam after moving to mainland Portugal. Three of his siblings later became engineers but Eusébio remained without post-primary education.
On the 15th of December 1960 Eusébio arrived in Lisbon at age eighteen. He did not officially join Benfica until May 1961 as a nineteen-year-old after a transfer fee of 400,000 Portuguese escudos was finally unlocked. The legal process took months because Sporting CP disputed the signing's legality. A Portuguese Directorate-General for Sports initially ruled in favor of Sporting CP before the Football Federation reversed the decision. Brazilian scout José Carlos Bauer spotted Eusébio during a tour in 1960 and recommended him to coach Béla Guttmann. Guttmann signed him quickly after São Paulo could not afford the asking price. During the transfer saga Benfica moved Eusébio to a holiday home owned by Domingos Claudino and later a hotel near Meia Praia beach in Lagos. They hid him there for twelve days fearing a kidnapping attempt by Sporting CP. On the 8th of April 1961 they moved him again while his mother received 250,000 escudos from the deal. The final payment of 400,000 escudos came from Jaime Catarino Duarte on the 13th of May 1961 allowing registration to proceed.
Portugal reached third place at the 1966 FIFA World Cup with Eusébio scoring nine goals as tournament top scorer. In the quarter-final against North Korea he scored four consecutive goals after trailing 0-3 in the twenty-fifth minute. His fourth goal came from a penalty following a fast run from midfield to the opposition's area. Portugal won 5-3 overturning the largest deficit ever overcome in a win at that time. He also scored two goals including a famous volley against Brazil which eliminated the reigning champions early. In the semi-final against England he scored Portugal's only goal from the penalty spot in the eighty-second minute. The match ended 1-2 but his performance earned him the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award. He walked off the pitch in tears after the loss and was comforted by teammates and opponents alike. The game became known locally as the Jogo das Lágrimas or Game of Tears. He later scored another penalty against the Soviet Union in the third-place match to secure Portugal's best World Cup finish.
Eusébio won the Ballon d'Or in 1965 finishing second in both 1962 and 1966. He became the first player to win the European Golden Boot in 1968 repeating the feat five years later. His career statistics show 473 goals in 440 competitive matches for Benfica making him their all-time top scorer. He scored 47 goals in UEFA club competitions ranking second behind Alfredo Di Stéfano in the pre-Champions League era. Eusébio received seven Bola de Prata awards as Primeira Liga top scorer between 1964 and 1973. FIFA named him one of the 125 best living footballers in 2004 while IFFHS ranked him ninth-best of the twentieth century. He was selected as Golden Player of Portugal in November 2003 celebrating fifty years of football excellence. Pelé included him on his list of greatest players and Di Stéfano stated after Eusébio's death that he would always consider him the best player of all time. A waxwork figure appeared at Madame Tussauds in London shortly after the 1966 World Cup.
Eusébio played for Beira-Mar and União de Tomar in Portugal during the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons. He joined the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1977 playing for Boston Minutemen Toronto Metros-Croatia and Las Vegas Quicksilvers. His most successful NASL season came in 1976 with Toronto where he scored the winning goal in a 3-0 victory at Soccer Bowl '76. By 1977 injuries had taken their toll while playing for the Quicksilvers and he only managed two goals that year. He found a home in 1978 with New Jersey Americans of the second-tier American Soccer League before retiring in 1979. He also played five games for Buffalo Stallions during the 1979-80 Major Indoor Soccer League season. After retirement he formed part of the technical committee of the Portugal national football team. The loss of his property and investments in Mozambique following independence in 1975 added personal hardship to his professional decline.
Eusébio died at his home on the 5th of January 2014 of heart failure aged seventy-one. The Portuguese government declared three days of national mourning following his death. Hundreds of thousands paid tribute including tributes from Cristiano Ronaldo Luís Figo and José Mourinho. A mass was held at Igreja do Seminário do Largo da Luz on the 6th of January 2014. His coffin was transported around the field of Estádio da Luz on the 9th of January as one of his final wishes. Parliament voted unanimously to inter him in the National Pantheon where notable Portuguese personalities are buried. This made him the first footballer ever to be laid to rest there. Precisely one year after his death an avenue in front of the stadium was renamed Avenida Eusébio da Silva Ferreira. Pope Francis referred to him alongside Maria Mutola as an example of perseverance during a visit to Mozambique in September 2019. He remains called Africa's greatest-ever player and one of the most recognizable faces of his generation.
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Common questions
When and where was Eusébio da Silva Ferreira born?
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was born on the 25th of January 1942 in the Mafalala neighbourhood of Lourenço Marques, now Maputo. He grew up in extreme poverty within Portuguese Mozambique.
How much did Benfica pay to sign Eusébio da Silva Ferreira in May 1961?
Benfica paid a transfer fee of 400,000 Portuguese escudos for Eusébio da Silva Ferreira after a legal dispute with Sporting CP concluded on the 13th of May 1961. The final payment came from Jaime Catarino Duarte allowing registration to proceed.
What were Eusébio da Silva Ferreira's achievements at the 1966 FIFA World Cup?
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira scored nine goals as tournament top scorer leading Portugal to third place. He scored four consecutive goals against North Korea and won the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award following his performance.
Which awards did Eusébio da Silva Ferreira win during his football career?
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira won the Ballon d'Or in 1965 finishing second in both 1962 and 1966. He became the first player to win the European Golden Boot in 1968 repeating the feat five years later.
When and how did Eusébio da Silva Ferreira die?
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira died at his home on the 5th of January 2014 of heart failure aged seventy-one. The Portuguese government declared three days of national mourning following his death.