Portugal 1966
Portugal made their World Cup debut at England 1966 and announced themselves with one of the most electrifying individual performances the tournament has ever seen. Eusébio the Black Panther, born in Mozambique and adopted by Lisbon was simply devastating: 9 goals in 6 matches, the Golden Boot, and a style that blended explosive power with balletic grace. In the quarter-final against North Korea, Portugal found themselves 3-0 down after 25 minutes in one of the most astonishing comebacks in World Cup history. Eusébio took the game by the throat, scoring four goals to drag his side to a 5-3 victory. The semi-final against England ended 2-1 in defeat Bobby Charlton outshining even Eusébio on the day. The great man left the pitch in tears. Portugal finished third, but Eusébio's tournament remains one of the most extraordinary individual displays the World Cup has ever witnessed.
