Eusébio (1942-2014) was a Portuguese Mozambican professional soccer player. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, he starred for Portugal’s SL Benfica, one of soccer’s greatest teams. SL stands for Sport Lisboa, meaning Lisbon Sports Club. Eusébio, considered one of the greatest players in soccer history, also played for the Portuguese national team. Eusébio was a fast and elusive striker and a prolific scorer. In soccer, a striker is principally responsible for scoring. For a discussion of soccer positions and formations, see Soccer (Players and officials) . With fellow countryman Mário Coluna, Eusébio was one of the first African superstars in European soccer.
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was born in Lourenço Marques, Portuguese Mozambique (now Maputo , Mozambique), on Jan. 25, 1942. At that time, Mozambique was a Portuguese colony. Eusébio grew up playing soccer in the streets and vacant lots of his home city. In 1957, he began playing for the local Sporting Club Lourenço Marques. In 1960, Eusébio moved to Lisbon , Portugal, to play for SL Benfica.
Eusébio debuted for Benfica in June 1961, and quickly established himself as one of the club’s best players. He first played for Portugal’s national team in October 1961. In 1962, his club Benfica defeated Spain ’s powerful Real Madrid CF to win Europe’s elite annual tournament, the European Cup (now called the Champions League). CF stands for club de fútbol, meaning football club. Soccer is called football in much of the world. Eusébio’s Benfica teammates included Mário Coluna and Portuguese stars José Águas, José Augusto, and José Torres.
Eusébio was named European Footballer of the year in 1965. In 1966, he led Portugal to a third place finish in the FIFA World Cup tournament, scoring nine goals in six matches. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Eusébio was named Portuguese Footballer of the Year in 1970 and 1973. Over 15 seasons, he led Benfica to 11 titles in the Primeira Liga, Portugal’s top soccer league. In 1975, he left Portugal to play soccer in the United States , Canada , and Mexico . Eusébio retired after the 1979 season.
Eusébio died in Lisbon on Jan. 5, 2014. A statue of Eusébio stands outside Benfica’s home stadium, the Estádio da Luz.
