Eusebio, the Portuguese football star who was born into poverty in Africa but became an international sporting icon and was voted one of the 10 best players of all time, has died aged 71, his longtime club, Benfica, said.
\nEusebio died Sunday, the club announced on its website, without providing further details.
\nEusebio died at home of heart failure at 3.30am on Sunday, his biographer, Jose Malheiro, said. \u201cHis health was very poor,\u201d Malheiro told reporters.
\nEusebio was admitted to hospital several times over the past year for the treatment of heart and respiratory problems.
\nEusebio\u2019s coffin was to be taken to Benfica\u2019s Stadium of Light later Sunday, public broadcaster, Radiotelevisao Portuguesa, reported.
\nCristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal captain who plays for Real Madrid, commented on his Facebook page: \u201cAlways eternal Eusebio, rest in peace.\u201d
\nFormer Portugal captain, Luis Figo, the 2001 FIFA world player of the year, tweeted: \u201cThe king!! Great loss for us all! The greatest!!\u201d
\n\u201cOn this sad day of (Eusebio\u2019s) death \u2026 I prefer to look upon him as immortal,\u201d Chelsea\u2019s Portuguese coach, Jose Mourinho, told RTP.
\nEusebio da Silva Ferreira became affectionately known as the Black Panther for his athletic prowess and clinical finishing that made him one of the world\u2019s top scorers during his heyday in the 1960s for Benfica and the Portuguese national team.
\nPerhaps his biggest accomplishment was to lead Portugal to a third-place finish at the 1966 World Cup, but his agility and speed made him one of Europe\u2019s most dangerous forwards for most of a career that lasted two decades.
\nHe was awarded the Ballon d\u2019Or in 1965 as Europe\u2019s player of the year and twice won the Golden Boot \u2013 in 1968 and 1973 \u2013 for being top scorer in Europe.
\nAccording to football\u2019s world governing body, FIFA, he scored 679 goals in a total of 678 official games.
\nThe Portuguese government decreed three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast.
\nThe Portuguese Football Federation ordered a minute\u2019s silence ahead of Sunday\u2019s Portuguese Cup games.
\nTributes poured in from around the football world.
\nFIFA President, Sepp Blatter, tweeted: \u201cFootball has lost a legend. But Eusebio place among the greats will never be taken away,\u201d while German great, Franz Beckenbauer, also took to Twitter to comment: \u201cOne of the greatest football players ever has passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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