Thousands of people lined the streets of Lisbon on Monday...to celebrate the life of Portugese football legend Eusebio. His funeral procession through the city came one day after the former Benfica striker, known as the ’Black Panther’, died of a heart attack at the age of 71.

On the side walks of the city’s main avenue, hundreds of mourners clapped and waved flowers as the procession passed through, paying their respects to the man described as the "eternal symbol" of Portugal’s football pride. The Portuguese government has declared three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast. Monday’s funeral was attended by many dignitaries, including Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho.

Former Benfica star Rui Costa and current squad member Oscar Cardozo dropped a Benfica flag on the coffin after it was lowered into the grave. Eusebio was born into poverty in Africa but became an international sporting icon and was voted one of the 10 best players of all time. The icon earned 64 caps and scored 41 goals for Portugal, records that stood for almost two decades.

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