The former striker is known for his remarkable record during the 1958 World Cup in Sweden which still stands until now.
French and world football is in mourning for news that has hit sport. Former France footballer and figure in Sweden’s 1958 World Cup, Just Fontaine, has died aged 89 .
During this World Cup event, he reached a record that no one has been able to beat so far: he scored 13 goals in a single edition of the World Cup and for several years was the competition’s top scorer .
Born in Morocco in 1933 to a French father, the striker distinguished himself during the World Cup campaign with the Blues team in 1958. There he reached the record after scoring against Paraguay (3), Yugoslavia (2), Scotland (1), Northern Ireland (2), Brazil (1) and Germany. West (4) .
In this competition, France fell only 2-3 against the Yugoslavs and in the semi-finals against Pelé’s Brazil, who won their first title that year.
These 13 goals allowed him to be the top scorer of a single edition of a World Cup so far and at the same time he was the top scorer of the World Cups until 2016, when Ronaldo Nazario reached 15 goals at Germany 2016, although now the record is held by Miroslav Klose when he reached 16 goals at Brazil 2014 .
His debut in football as a professional was in Morocco, then he achieved the best performances in France with Nice where, in 1953, he scored 17 goals in his first season in the highest French category.
He won the Coupe de France (1954) and the national title in 1956. Then he went to the Stade de Reims with which he won three more championships, the Coupe de France 1958 and two Supercoupes de France (1958 and 1960). .
His professional career was affected in 1961 when during a match he suffered a double fracture in his left leg which prevented him from regaining his best form, leaving football at the age of 27.
He then went on to coach French and Moroccan teams, as well as clubs such as PSG and Toulouse.
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Source: Latercera
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