Portugal captain, Christain Ronaldo, led several prominent football icons to pay tribute to departed Portugal and Sporting Lisbon great, Eusebio, who passed away in the early hours of yesterday at 71 years.

Born in Mozambique in 1942, Eusebio was brought to Portugal by Benfica head coach Bela Guttman, who signed the player in 1961 after making a personal trip to Africa to see him play.

The attacker, nicknamed 'the Black Pearl' and 'the Black Panther,' went on to become a legend for both club and country, winning 11 Primeira Liga titles, five domestic cups and the 1962 European Cup with Aguias, as well as inspiring Portugal to third place in the 1966 World Cup.

With his speed, power and skill, Eusebio was an unstoppable force in the Portuguese league and averaged more than a goal a game, hitting 319 in just 313 league appearances and remains Benfica's all-time leading scorer.
Eusebio's exploits were not restricted to just domestic level. He earned 61 caps and scored 41 times for Portugal, most notably finishing the 1966 World Cup as one of the stars of the tournament. He scored nine times to secure the Golden Boot and also netted as his side overcame the Soviet Union 2-1 to seal third place.

The Benfica great lifted the European Cup with the Aguias in 1962, was named European Footballer of the Year in 1965 and scored nine goals at the 1966 World Cup.

He is rightly regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game, with tributes flooding in from some of football's finest via Twitter, as reaction to his death gathers pace.

Goal rounds up the latest tweets from across the globe, with two more of Portugal's finest footballers paying their respects along with a host of respected figures and institutions.
Cristiano Ronaldo ‏
Always eternal #Eusebio, rest in peace
Xabi Alonso
RIP Eusebio (1942-2014). One of the greats
Luís Figo
The king!! Grande perda para todos nos! O mais grande!!
michael owen
Sad to hear that Eusébio has passed away. 733 goals in 745 appearances will always mark him down as a true legend of the game. R.I.P.
Vincent Kompany
Respect to a man who meant so much to the game I cherish. Eusebio, one of the all time greatest, may he Rest In Peace.
Manchester United
We're saddened to hear Benfica legend Eusebio has passed away. He was a fantastic player and a friend of the club.
Joseph S Blatter
Football has lost a legend. But Eusebio’s place among the greats will never be taken away (1/2)
Franz Beckenbauer
One of the greatest football players ever has passed away. My friend Eusebio died last night. My thoughts are with his family.
Ruud Gullit
A great footballer left us and I want to say thanks to Eusébio for all his greatness and beautiful football moments that he gave us
Peter Schmeichel
Sad news that Eusebio has passed away, he was a true legend, a fantastic ambassador to football, a gentleman to the core. R.I.P. Sir
Arsenal
Rest in peace, Eusebio - Portuguese football legend.
Mark van Bommel
RIP Eusebio one of the best ever! #legend #Eusebio
Gordon Banks told The Sentinel:
“He was one of those players who could do things with that heavy ball that very few in this country could do.
"He could hit it with the inside of his foot, the outside. It made me quite pessimistic when he was taking free-kicks."