3 der prägendsten Momente des Fußballs vom legendären Eusébio
Get closer to the legend with our pick of O Rei’s greatest triumphs
14. Dezember 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo described his genius as ‘always eternal’. Luís Figo celebrated him as ‘The King! The Greatest!’ José Mourinho said, ‘I think he is immortal’. Though decades have passed since Eusébio last stepped out onto a pitch, his legacy lives on in the stories he wrote with a ball at his feet.
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was born in 1942 in Mozambique, then a Portuguese colony. Aged 17, he transferred from a Sporting CP affiliate to rivals Benfica (after a dramatic tussle involving fake names and hotel hide-outs). Over the next 13 seasons, he won seven championships and scored 727 goals in 715 appearances.
PUMA began working with Eusébio in the early 1960s. His trademark speed, power, and precision earned him the nicknames Black Panther, Black Pearl, und O Rei (The King). After the 1966 World Cup, PUMA launched the KING EUSÉBIO boot. He became the tournament’s top scorer, and the KING became a legend still adored today.
Eusébio’s career cemented his place among football’s top icons, even appearing in FIFA 100, Pelé’s list of the greatest footballers. Here are three moments in which he changed the game forever.
1962 vs. Real Madrid
One of the most iconic goals of Eusébio’s career came in the European Cup (now Champions League) final of the 1961/62 season. Real Madrid had won the previous five tournaments, but Benfica’s striker was not about to let them reach six. Eusébio won a penalty in the sixty-fourth minute, followed three minutes later by a legendary long-range strike, capping off a comeback for the ages.Real Madrid V Benfica – European Cup Final in Amsterdam (1962), where Eusébio won a penalty in the sixty-fourth minute
The result was made even more impressive by the fact that Real Madrid had phenom Ferenc Puskás starring up front. Puskás bagged a hat-trick that was destined to be forgotten in the bright lights of Eusébio’s goals.
But once a team athlete, always a team athlete. As he told an interviewer in 2015, “The generation I played with was the best generation ever… It was all heart and that’s why there were so many great players. I’m happy to have been part of that era.”
But once a team athlete, always a team athlete. As he told an interviewer in 2015, “The generation I played with was the best generation ever… It was all heart and that’s why there were so many great players. I’m happy to have been part of that era.”
His Ballon d’Or win
The annual football award, the Ballon d’Or, is not just the pinnacle of personal achievement in football. It often stands as a bellwether for the cultural and political feeling at the time, both in the sport and the wider world. It is football’s highest honour.Eusébio’s win in 1965 marked the first time a black player had been awarded the title. A huge victory for Eusebio, of course, but the real impact is in his trailblazing legacy.
2025 marked 60 years since Eusébio’s Ballon d’Or win. PUMA marked the occasion with a kit limited to 1965 editions.
As Eusébio’s wife said, “Eusébio had a very close relationship with the brand and a sincere friendship with its founder, Mr. Rudolf Dassler”.
As Eusébio’s wife said, “Eusébio had a very close relationship with the brand and a sincere friendship with its founder, Mr. Rudolf Dassler”.
RUDOLF DASSLER, EUSÉBIO AND HIS WIFE FLORA
Eusébio’s 1966 World Cup performance
While this competition is often remembered for its dramatic final – England’s first ever victory, the goal that may or may not have crossed the line, fans on the pitch – Eusébio’s performance throughout was another landmark.He maintained blistering momentum throughout Portugal’s tournament. This winning streak culminated at the quarter-final against North Korea, during which Portugal came back from three-nil down to win five-three. Eusébio scored four goals within 24 minutes – a truly extraordinary moment in World Cup history.
Portugal lost 2-1 to home side England in the semi-final. Eusébio finished the 1966 World Cup with the Golden Boot and a total of nine goals: a record that only three others (Just Fontaine, Sándor Kocsis, Gerd Müller) have ever beaten, before or since.
Eusébio: iconic even in death
Eusébio’s passing devastated Portugal and the wider footballing world. Even clubs once fearful of his genius – Real Madrid, Manchester United – made no delay in joining the chorus of honour.A true icon of the country and sport, Eusébio’s standing in his country was abundantly clear when the Portuguese government declared a three-day period of mourning for all to remember the talismanic attacker.
Pantera negra, O Rei, the Black Pearl – whatever you know him by, we hope you now feel a little closer to the legend.
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