Portugal, Benfica legend Eusebio dies at age 71

Born: 25/01/42 in Mozambique.

Early career: Started with Sporting Lourenco-Marques, a nursery club of Sporting Lisbon but was signed by Benfica for £7,500 at the age of 19.

Benfica: Helped side beat Real Madrid 5-3 in the European Cup final in 1962. Won 10 league championships and five cups in his 15 years at Benfica
Portugal: Scored 41 goals in 64 internationals
Starring roles: Named European Footballer of the Year in 1965 and top scorer at the 1966 World Cup with nine goals

Portugal football legend Eusebio, who was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup, has died at the age of 71.

Born in Mozambique in 1942 when it was still a Portuguese colony, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira went on to play 64 times for Portugal, scoring 41 goals.

The Benfica striker's nine goals at the 1966 World Cup in England included four against North Korea.

Widely considered one of the best players of all-time, he scored 733 times in 745 professional matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Eusebio

Cristiano Ronaldo and Eusebio - photo was posted on Ronaldo's Twitter account on Sunday

He had been admitted to hospital several times over the past year for the treatment of heart and respiratory problems.

Famed for his blistering acceleration and dazzling dribbling skills, Eusebio was named European Footballer of the Year in 1965.

He won the European Cup with Benfica in 1962 and was in the side that lost to Manchester United in the 1968 Wembley final.

Eusebio enjoyed 10 league championship victories and five Portuguese cup triumphs in his 15 years at the club and was Portugal's top league scorer seven times.

Current Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was among those to pay tribute.

-BBC SPORT