Juste
Fontaine
(France)
Juste Fontaine's record 13 World
Cup goals in 1958 included four in the third place
play-off against West Germany, as France achieved
their best-ever finish in the tournament. Fontaine who
was born at Marrakesh in Morocco in 1933, began his
career with Nice and won League and Cup winmner's
medals before making his international debut against
Hungary in October 1956.
He was in and out of the national team and won a place
in Sweden only after an injury to Renè Biliard. But
he combined with Raymond Kopa to provide one of the
tournament's most lethal strike forces and he scored
in every game. Fontaine who scored 30 goals in 21
internationals, moved to Rheims shortly after his
World Cup exploits and appeared for them in the 1959
European Cup final, when they lost to Raymond Kopa's
Real Madrid.
His career was cut short at the age of 27, when he
broke a leg for a second time. He became president of
the French Footballers' Union and had a brief spell in
charge of the national team and Paris St. Germain.
Fontaine's 13 goals remained an overall record until
surpassed by Gerd Müller in 1974, although no man has
bettered his tally in one tournament.
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