March 01, (THEWILL) – French football icon, Just Fontaine, who famously scored 13 goals in a single World Cup, has passed away at the age of 89.
Fontaine’s incredible record-breaking streak at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, saw him score 30 goals in just 21 games for his country. Despite only playing in one World Cup, Fontaine is currently joint-fourth on the all-time scoring list alongside Lionel Messi.
Fontaine’s remarkable World Cup run began with a hat-trick in the group stage against Paraguay, followed by braces against Yugoslavia and Scotland. He then added another double in the quarter-finals against Northern Ireland before scoring again in the semi-final loss to Brazil.
Fontaine did not stop there, but went on to sign off his campaign with a stunning four-goal haul in the third-place play-off against West Germany. Indeed, off the international stage, Fontaine had a phenomenal strike rate at club level in France with Nice and Reims. He also briefly managed the national team before leading PSG, Toulouse, and his birth country, Morocco.
Of all his prolific achievements, Fontaine will be remembered most for his unforgettable performances in the 1958 World Cup.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
