Five facts about Eusébio’s 1965 Ballon d’Or! Benfica legend made history

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Glorioso 1904

·27 Desember 2025

Five facts about Eusébio’s 1965 Ballon d’Or! Benfica legend made history

Today marks six decades since one of the most golden moments in national sports. Eusébio, the greatest legend of Benfica, was crowned with the 1965 Ballon d'Or, cementing his status as the best player in Europe at that time. The 'Black Panther' not only led the eagles to the top but also made history by being the first black footballer to lift the trophy, putting Africa on the map and proving that talent surpasses any barrier.

Check out five curiosities about Eusébio's triumph in the 1965 Ballon d'Or:

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Far from today's glamour, the star received the news via radio during a stroll in Samouco. He was accompanied by Coluna, Neto, and their respective wives when the broadcast revealed the winner. Taken by surprise, Eusébio embraced Flora, whom he had recently married, and cried with emotion in his wife's arms.
The victory had a special taste of revenge. The Benfica forward scored 67 points, eight more than Giacinto Facchetti. The Italian was the captain of Inter Milan, a team that had defeated the reds months earlier in the European Cup final, in a match marked by adverse weather conditions and a series of events that were, to say the least, unusual.
The records of 1964/65 were overwhelming. The 'King' scored 48 goals in just 36 games. In the European Cup, he was the top scorer alongside José Torres, with nine accurate shots. The highlight was the quarter-finals against the giant Real Madrid, where he scored three times over the two legs.
The consecration in front of the fans took place on March 9, 1966, at the Estádio da Luz, before a European duel against Manchester United. However, the celebration was spoiled by the Red Devils. George Best and company 'painted the town' and inflicted a heavy 5-1 defeat on the eagles on a night of celebration.
Eusébio missed out on reclaiming the award in 1966 by just one point, losing to Bobby Charlton, despite being the favorite after the World Cup. The defeat was due to the fact that the France Football correspondent in Portugal did not award any points to his compatriot. The feat of winning two consecutive years would only be achieved later, in 1973 and 1974, by Johan Cruyff.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.