1965 Ballon d’Or Winner: Eusebio. The Black Panther. The Black Pearl

Eusebio is a name synonymous with footballing greatness and a man who sits amongst the elite legends of the game. The goalscoring powerhouse often features in the ‘top ten’ of lists that judge the “best of all-time.”

He was nicknamed ‘The Black Panther’ because of his strength in play and ‘The Black Pearl’ due to his elegance on the field. The forward became the first Portuguese national to win a Ballon d’Or and remains the only Benfica player to have claimed the prize.

Eusebio. The Black Panther. The Black Pearl.

Prowess In Portugal

Eusebio finished eight points ahead of his nearest rival, Inter Milan defender Giacinto Facchetti, in the race for 1965’s Ballon d’Or and over 20 points clear of third placed Italian midfielder Luis Suarez.

The Portuguese maestro scored a remarkable 48 goals for Benfica in only 36 games across all competitions in 1964/65. It marked the second best tally of his career and only beaten by a total of 50 strikes in 1968.

In Primeira Divisao, Portugal’s top flight during the 1960’s, Eusebio netted 28 goals in just 20 league appearances, finishing five goals ahead of Benfica teammate and fellow forward Jose Torres.

He helped drive the club to their fourth league success in five seasons, a 14th overall title ended the campaign five points ahead of second place Porto.

King Of Europe

Also known as “O Rei” or The King of Portugal, Eusebio was in majestic form and yet still faced stiff competition on his way to Ballon d’Or glory.

Runner-up was Inter Milan left-back Giacinto Facchetti and the Italian side’s midfielder Luis Suarez finishing third. Both men had been integral to an Inter side who had enjoyed a domestic double, winning Serie A and European Cup.

However, during the 1965 European Cup and with the eyes of a continent upon him, Eusebio would outperform the two of them. He struck nine goals in as many European matches and became the competition’s joint-top scorer alongside Benfica teammate Jose Torres.

Eusebio scored three times against Luxembourg’s Aris in the Preliminary Round and once more vs Swiss club La Chaux-de-fonds in round one.

The Portuguese genius scored three more against the might of Real Madrid during their Quarter final both home and away before hitting a brace vs Hungary’s Vasas ETO Gyor in the last four.

Ultimately, Benfica lost 1-0 in the final to Inter Milan but Eusebio’s performances across the tournament were enough to convince Europe of his immovable quality. He had produced a stunning season yet again.

Eusebio ended the year with seven goals in seven caps for Portugal with World Soccer magazine naming him in their prestigious World XI for 1965.

His legendary career brought Eusebio some eye-watering statistics. He scored 473 goals in 440 appearances for Benfica over fifteen seasons and is the club’s all-time leading goal scorer.

The forward won over thirty domestic honours with the Portuguese side including eleven league titles, five national trophies and the 1962 European Cup.

On the international stage, he netted 41 goals in just 64 caps and powered his country into a third place finish at the 1966 World Cup.

It was somewhat of a mystery how the Portuguese superstar had failed to win the Ballon d’Or before and he would never claim the award again. 1965 will always be remembered for Eusebio’s brief moment as officially the finest player on the planet.

1965 Ballon d’Or Top 20

Trivia

• Eusebio scored more than forty goals in a single season a total of five times throughout his career at Benfica.
• Giacinto Facchetti was a one-club man, playing only for Inter Milan between 1960 and 1978. He featured a total of 629 times for Inter which remains the third-highest number for the Italian side.
• Only twelve months prior, Spaniard Luis Suarez finished as Ballon d’Or runner-up behind eventual winner, Manchester United and Scotland striker Denis Law.