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Just Fontaine

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Just Fontaine
BERJAYA
Fontaine at the 1958 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Just Louis Fontaine[1]
Date of birth (1933-08-18)18 August 1933
Place of birth Marrakech, Morocco
Date of death 28 February 2023(2023-02-28) (aged 89)
Place of death Toulouse, France
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1950–1953 US Marocaine 48 (62)
1953–1956 Nice 69 (42)
1956–1962 Reims 131 (122)
Total 248 (226)
International career
1953–1960 France 21 (30)
Managerial career
1967 France
1968–1969 Luchon
1973–1976 Paris Saint-Germain
1978–1979 Toulouse
1979–1981 Morocco
Medal record
Men's football
Representing BERJAYA France (as player)
FIFA World Cup
Third place1958
Representing BERJAYA Morocco (as manager)
Africa Cup of Nations
Third place1980
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Just Louis Fontaine (French pronunciation: [ʒyst fɔ̃.tɛn]; 18 August 1933 – 28 February 2023) was a French professional footballer who played as a striker. He scored the most goals ever in a single FIFA World Cup, with thirteen in six matches in the 1958 tournament.[2]

In March 2004, Pelé named him one of his 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony.[3]

Early life and football career

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Born in Marrakesh, Morocco, to a French father and a Spanish mother, Fontaine moved to Casablanca, where he attended the Lycée Lyautey.[citation needed]

Fontaine began his amateur career at US Marocaine, where he played from 1950 to 1953. Nice recruited him in 1953 and he went on to score 44 goals in three seasons for the club. In 1956, he moved to Stade de Reims, where he teamed up with Raymond Kopa from the 1959–60 season. Fontaine scored 121 goals in six seasons at Stade de Reims. In total, Fontaine scored 165 goals in 200 matches in the Division 1 and won the championship twice (1958 and 1960). He also took part in the team that got to the 1958–59 European Cup final against Real Madrid, being that season's top scorer with ten goals.[4]

BERJAYA
Fontaine playing for France at the 1958 FIFA World Cup.

Wearing the blue shirt of France, Fontaine has an even more impressive record. On his debut on 17 December 1953, Fontaine scored a hat trick as France defeated Luxembourg 8–0. In seven years, he scored 30 goals in 21 matches. In the 1958 FIFA World Cup, he scored 13 goals in just six matches – a feat that included putting four past defending champions West Germany in the third place playoff.[5] It is also the highest number of goals scored by a player at a single World Cup tournament.[6][7] As of 2026, he is the seventh-top scorer in FIFA World Cup history, with each of the six ahead of him—Gerd Müller (14 goals), Harry Kane (14 goals), Ronaldo (15 goals), Miroslav Klose (16 goals), Lionel Messi (21 goals), and Kylian Mbappé (22 goals)— having played in at least two tournaments.[8][9][10][11]

Fontaine played his last match in July 1962, being forced to retire early (28 years and 11 months old) because of a recurring leg injury. He briefly managed the France national team in 1967, but was replaced after only two friendly games, which ended in defeats. As coach of Morocco, he led the Atlas Lions to a third place finish in the 1980 African Cup of Nations,[12] overseeing the emergence of such players as Badou Zaki, Mohammed Timoumi and Aziz Bouderbala. Morocco reached the final stage of 1982 World Cup qualification but were beaten by Cameroon. As sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain, he managed to help promote the club to the first division.[4]

After retirement

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BERJAYA
Fontaine in 1966
BERJAYA
Fontaine in 2016

Fontaine was named by Pelé as one of the 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. He was chosen as the best French player of the last 60 years by the French Football Federation in the UEFA Jubilee Awards in November 2003.[13] With Eugène N'Jo Léa he founded the National Union of Professional Football Players in 1961. He criticised the performance of the French team in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, particularly on the lackluster play of the forwards.[14]

For over 60 years, Fontaine lived in Toulouse, where he owned two Lacoste shops and, in his own words, spent his days playing belote and watching football on television.[15] He died in Toulouse on 28 February 2023[16] at the age of 89.[4][8][17]

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
US Marocaine 1950–51 Moroccan Football League 1623———1623
1951–52 Moroccan Football League 1017———1017
1952–53 Moroccan Football League 2222———2222
Total 4862———4862
Nice 1953–54 Division 1 241773——3120
1954–55 Division 1 282042——3222
1955–56 Division 1 17534—1[a]0219
Total 6942149—108451
Reims 1956–57 Division 1 313011——3231
1957–58 Division 1 263465——3239
1958–59 Division 1 3224227[b]101[c]04236
1959–60 Division 1 282822——3030
1960–61 Division 1 74001[b]0—84
1961–62 Division 1 7213——85
Total 131122121381010152145
Career total 248226262281020284258
  1. ↑ Appearance in Challenge des Champions
  2. 1 2 Appearances in European Cup
  3. ↑ Appearance in Coupe Charles Drago

International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year[18]
National teamYearAppsGoals
France 195313
195400
195500
195610
195710
19581218
195947
196022
Total2130
Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fontaine goal[19]
List of international goals scored by Just Fontaine
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 17 December 1953Parc des Princes, Paris, France1BERJAYA Luxembourg4–08–01954 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 6–0
3 7–0
4 13 March 1958Parc des Princes, Paris, France4BERJAYA Spain1–12–2Friendly
5 8 June 1958Idrottsparken, Norrköping, Sweden6BERJAYA Paraguay1–17–31958 FIFA World Cup
6 2–1
7 5–3
8 11 June 1958Arosvallen, Västerås, Sweden7BERJAYA Yugoslavia1–02–3 1958 FIFA World Cup
9 2–2
10 15 June 1958Eyravallen, Örebro, Sweden8BERJAYA Scotland2–02–1 1958 FIFA World Cup
11 19 June 1958Idrottsparken, Norrköping, Sweden9BERJAYA Northern Ireland2–04–0 1958 FIFA World Cup
12 3–0
13 24 June 1958Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden10BERJAYA Brazil1–12–5 1958 FIFA World Cup
14 28 June 1958Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden11BERJAYA West Germany1–06–3 1958 FIFA World Cup
15 3–1
16 5–2
17 6–3
18 1 October 1958Parc des Princes, Paris, France12BERJAYA Greece2–07–1UEFA Euro 1960 qualifiers
19 6–1
20 5 October 1958Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria13BERJAYA Austria2–12–1Friendly
21 9 November 1958Stade Olympique de Colombes, Colombes, France15BERJAYA Italy2–22–2Friendly
22 11 November 1959Stade Olympique de Colombes, Colombes, France17BERJAYA Portugal1–05–3Friendly
23 4–2
24 5–2
25 13 December 1959Stade Olympique de Colombes, Colombes, France18BERJAYA Austria1–05–2UEFA Euro 1960 qualifiers
26 2–0
27 4–2
28 17 December 1959Parc des Princes, Paris, France19BERJAYA Spain2–14–3Friendly
29 16 March 1960Parc des Princes, Paris, France20BERJAYA Chile4–06–0Friendly
30 5–0

Honours

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Player

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Nice[citation needed]

Reims[citation needed]

France[citation needed]

Individual

Manager

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Morocco

Orders

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 "Décret du 12 juillet 2013 portant promotion et nomination" [Decree of 12 July 2013 on promotion and appointment]. Official Journal of the French Republic (in French). 2013 (162). 14 July 2019. PREX1316852D. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  2. ↑ Kaufman, Michelle. "Countdown to the World Cup – Total Soccer, Fútbol Total". MiamiHerald.com. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  3. 1 2 "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Just Fontaine, France's record World Cup goalscorer, dies aged 89". The Guardian. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  5. ↑ Ramírez, Frida Samantha (11 June 2026). "The most lethal goalscorer in history played only one World Cup: Just Fontaine's incredible record that still stands". beIN Sports. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden ™". FIFA. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  7. ↑ Short, Joe (13 December 2022). "Most goals in a World Cup single tournament: All-time scoring records". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 "Just Fontaine: Former France striker and World Cup record holder dies aged 89". BBC Sport. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  9. ↑ Pisani, Sacha (16 June 2026). "'Magic' Kylian Mbappe shattered two France records. He is on the cusp of another at the World Cup". football360.com.au. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "MOVE OVER, MESSI! KYLIAN MBAPPÉ BREAKS ALL-TIME RECORD FOR WORLD CUP GOALS". Free Malaysia Today | FMT. 18 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Borrowed shoes, no Golden Boot - the story of the World Cup's greatest scorer". BBC Sport. 13 July 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Record World Cup Scorer dies at 89". New Straits Times. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  13. ↑ "Golden Players take centre stage". Archived from the original on 12 March 2004. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
  14. ↑ "France legend Fontaine blasts forwards". ESPN. 11 July 2010. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  15. ↑ Smyth, Rob (12 January 2012). "The forgotten story of ... Just Fontaine's 13-goal World Cup" – via The Guardian.
  16. ↑ "Moteur de recherche des décès". MatchID.
  17. ↑ "Mort de Just Fontaine : les obsèques de l'ancien footballeur seront célébrées à Toulouse, le lundi 6 mars". La Dépêche du Midi. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  18. ↑ "Just Fontaine – Goals in International Matches". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  19. ↑ "Just Fontaine - national football team player". EU-Football.info. 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  20. ↑ "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1958". rsssf.org. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "Saison 1959/1960 Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Coupe Charles Drago, Classement, Résultats". pari-et-gagne.com. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  22. ↑ "Legends". Golden Foot. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
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