Lisbon: Portugal declared three days of mourning for Portuguese football legend Eusebio, who died early Sunday due to a cardiac arrest, Xinhua reported Monday.
"The country is officially mourning his death," President Anibal Cavaco Silva said. "The best way to pay tribute to Eusebio is by following his example, not only as an athlete but also as a human being."
Eusebio was known as the "Black Panther", for his velocity and technique. He was born in Maputo, the Mozambican capital, when the country was still a Portuguese colony and came from humble origins to later become one of the world's top scorers.
He won the Ballon d'Or in 1965 and helped Portugal finish third in the World Cup in England. Playing for his longtime club Benfica, he won 11 league titles and the European Cup in 1962 and helped the club to three further European Cup finals.
