10 People who changed football for good

#5 Eusebio

Eusebio, like Pele, played in America

Eleven Portuguese top division titles to his name, 1965 Footballer of the Year and 473 goals in 440 games for Benfica, Eusebio really was a stellar talent. The forward played with an appropriate blend of passion and modesty, haunting many a defence in his pomp, but it is arguably the path he paved for footballers of African origin to play for European national teams which remains his greatest accolade of all.

Following his death at 71 two years ago, Eusebio’s legacy is like no other. He was born in the Maputo region of Mozambique, but it was 12,000km north, in Lisbon, where he would make the biggest impact of all. Prior to Eusebio, it was practically unheard of for a player from Africa to reach the highest level, rendering him the first world class export from the continent.

African players representing European nations is normal in modern football, with an array of talents from Patrick Viera to Patrice Evra opting to play for nations outside of their continent of origin and Eusebio is to thank for this. So, you may remember the name for his electrifying pace, rifle of a right boot and as one of the greatest to never lift the World Cup trophy, but Eusebio has done as much on a political level as on a football one.