Portuguese football legend Eusebio has died aged 71 of cardio-pulmonary arrest, according to a statement from Benfica, Sky Sports reported.

The former Benfica star was the top scorer in the 1966 World Cup in England, when he helped Portugal to the semi-finals and a third-place finish with his nine goals in the tournament.

Eusebio da Silva Ferreira was born in Mozambique and he moved to Lisbon after joining Benfica as an 18-year-old from his local club, Sporting Clube de Lourenco Marques.

He quickly established himself at the Stadium of Light and was the talisman at Benfica during the club's glory years in the 1960s.

Eusebio helped the Eagles retain the European Cup in 1962 when they beat Real Madrid 5-3, and he also scored in two Wembley finals as the club lost to AC Milan in 1963 and Manchester United in 1968, while he played in the 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan in the 1965 final.

He was the 1965 European Footballer of the Year and finished as runners-up twice, in 1962 and 1966, and in 1968 was the first winner of the Golden Boot Award, as Europe's leading scorer, a feat he repeated five years later.

Eusebio was the Portuguese First Division's top scorer seven times, and he helped Benfica to 11 league titles and five national cup wins.

His last game for Benfica was in June 1975.