Ronaldo’s Portugal to wear kit in tribute to legend Eusébio

Portugal will honor legendary striker Eusébio, who scored more than 700 goals in his career, by playing in a special jersey. Puma

Not many players have been deemed legendary enough to warrant a bespoke, special-edition international kit, but Portugal have decided to do exactly that with a wonderful tribute to the late, great striker Eusébio. who passed away in 2014.

Nicknamed the “Pantera Negra” (Black Panther), Eusébio was the figurehead of Portugal’s national team of the 1960s and early ’70s. The striker, who died in 2014, also inspired Benfica to 11 league titles, a swathe of domestic cups, and to European Cup glory in 1961-62 — scoring in a remarkable 5-3 final victory over Real Madrid in Amsterdam.

Famed for his graceful style, athleticism, ingenuity and skill, Eusébio was also one of the game’s greatest-ever goal scorers, with over 700 career strikes to his name. That tally includes 41 in 64 games for the Seleção, a national-team record that stood for decades until Pauleta and latterly, Cristiano Ronaldo, overtook him.

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Portugal captain Ronaldo, who is the all-time top scorer in men’s international with 143 goals, scored his 400th career goal just three days after Eusébio died on Jan. 5, 2014. He said at the time: “The goals are for Eusebio. I was very close to him and he helped me a lot.

To mark the 60th anniversary of Eusébio becoming the first Portuguese player to win the Ballon d’Or in 1965, Puma have designed an homage to the legendary forward in the form of a unique kit that will be worn by the national side.

Created in conjunction with Eusébio’s family and estate, the kit comes with the blessing of the player’s wife Flora Bruheim, who said that she felt “deeply moved ” by the tribute and that Eusébio himself would be “very happy” with the salute to his enduring legacy.

The shirt itself is black with minimal but lustrous gold trim, conjuring a fittingly regal aesthetic for a player who was also known as “O Rei” (“The King,” a nickname Eusébio shared with Brazil legend Pelé).

The material is also imbued with a subtle repeating shield pattern that features the crest used by the Portuguese football federation between 1914 and 1966, the year in which Eusébio and his teammates finished third at the FIFA World Cup in England.

The authentic version of the replica kit will be limited to 1,965 pieces and come with Eusébio’s famous No. 13 squad number printed on the back in gold. The full match version will then be worn by the Portugal’s national team on Nov. 16 when they face Armenia in a World Cup qualifier in Porto.

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