DHAKA: Former Portugal footballer Eusebio, often ranked as one of the best players ever, has died at the age of 71.

The forward was the top scorer in the 1966 World Cup as he guided his team to third place in the tournament, reports sky.com.

Nicknamed the Black Panther or the Black Pearl, Eusebio spent most of career with Benfica in Portugal after moving from the then Portuguese territory Laurenco Marquez, now Mapatu in Mozambique.

He scored 733 goals in 745 competitive games over his career and in a poll conducted for Uefa`s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2004 he was voted as the 7th best European footballer to have played the game.

BDST: 1542 HRS, JAN 05, 2014
RS