By the time he began his career with Real Madrid in mid-1958, Puskas was over 30 and thought to be past his prime.

Nonetheless, partnering with Alfredo Di Stefano, Puskas won five straight Spanish league titles with Madrid, as well as the European Cup in 1959, 1960 and 1966.

He was the Spanish league's top scorer four times, netting a total of 324 goals in 372 games for Madrid, including friendlies.

On Saturday, a ceremony will be held in his honor in the stadium renamed after him in 2002, with FIFA, UEFA and Real Madrid expected to send top delegations. In the evening, a memorial Mass will be celebrated in the basilica, where he will be laid to rest.

The government has declared Saturday a national day of mourning.

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Associated Press writer Palma Benczenleitner contributed to this report.

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