Just
Fontaine (born August 18, 1933 in Marrakech, Morocco) was a
French football player. He holds the all-time record for goals
scored in a single World Cup finals, with 13 in 1958.
Fontaine began his professional career at US Casablanca, where
he played from 1950 to 1953. Nice recruited him in 1953, and he
went on to score 44 goals in 3 seasons for the club. In 1956, he
moved on to Stade de Reims to replace Raymond Kopa, where he
scored 121 goals in 6 seasons. In total, Fontaine scored 165
goals in 200 matches in the Ligue 1, and twice won the
championship; in 1958 and 1960.
Wearing the blue shirt of France, Fontaine's statistics are even
more impressive. On his debut with the team on December 17,
1953, Fontaine scored a hat trick as France drubbed Luxembourg
8-0. In 1960 alone, he scored 30 goals in 21 matches for the
team. However, Fontaine will best be remembered for his 1958
World Cup performance, where he scored 13 goals in just 6
matches, including putting 4 past the West Germans. This tally
secured him the Golden Boot for that tournament, and his total
of 13 remains the greatest number of goals scored in a single
World Cup tournament.
Fontaine played his last match in July 1962, being forced to
retire early because of a recurring injury. He briefly took the
reins for the French national team in 1967, but was replaced
after only two games, both friendlies that ended in defeats.
He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living
footballers in March 2004. |
