Portugal, England’s opponents on Thursday night, boast an enviable history of players stretching back decades but this game, however, provides an opportunity to reflect on arguably the country’s greatest: Eusébio.
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was born in Mozambique in 1942 when it was a colony of Portugal, then a fascist state, ruled by dictators. He went on to play 64 times for Portugal, scoring 41 goals.
He scored nine goals at the 1966 World Cup in England, winning the Golden Boot award, including four in a dramatic 5-3 win over North Korea in the quarter-finals, from being 3-0 down at one stage.
Eusebio in action against England at Wembley in 1966
To many he's one of the best players of all time, combining blistering acceleration with dazzling dribbling skills.
And, as one of very few black players prominent at that time, his very presence on the pitch was symbolic to many.
Lord Herman Ouseley, Chairman of Kick it Out, football’s equality and inclusion organisation, said: "In the 1960s, Eusébio was a legend for black people across Europe. He, along with Pele, were symbols for black people in becoming more prominent not just in football, but in life.
"He raised the aspirations of young black people who wanted to get involved in football, which is just as important as his exploits on the pitch.”
As such, he inspired many black youngsters in England at the time, many of who were born to Afro-Caribbean families who had come to these shores in the 1950s.
Many of those young people went on to become professional players in this country, with Viv Anderson becoming the first black player to be capped by England, in 1978.
And today’s England team is a reflection of how pivotal a role black players now play in the modern game. It also shows that football is a game for everyone, an ethos The FA and partners across the game is striving to promote, through English Football’s Inclusion & Anti-Discrimination Action Plan.
FATV spoke with Eusebio at Soccerex in 2013
Eusébio was European Footballer of the Year in 1965, and won the European Cup with Benfica in 1962 and his Wembley story continued with more heartache when he played in the side that lost to Manchester United at the national stadium in the 1968 final.
He won ten league championships and five Portuguese cups in his 15 years at Benfica, and was Portugal's top league scorer seven times.
Looking back on the exploits of 1966, and Eusebio’s pivotal role in that tournament, Greg Dyke, chairman of The Football Association, added: "We got to the final in '66 by beating our opponents today, Portugal in the semi-final and that was a Portugal side containing the great Eusébio who scored in that match.
"What an impression Eusébio made in the ‘66 World Cup finals. What a hero he was. And not just for his football.
"You have to remember that in 1966 there were no African teams in the World Cup, so a player of African descent playing left a profound impression. In that tournament he left his own legacy and inspired and delighted a generation. He is missed by the game."
