By Victor Kanayo
France Legend, Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in a single World Cup, and later became coach, has died at a fulfilling age of 89.
Gliterring Playing Career
As a footballer in his prime, Fontaine scored an incredible 30 goals in just 21 games for his country, including his record streak at Sweden in 1958, as France finished third.
He is joint-fourth on the all-time World Cup goalscorers list alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi, BBC recalls.
Historically, only three players have scored more goals at World Cups than Fontaine, a statistic made more remarkable by the fact that he only played in the 1958 tournament.
He would not have even played there, had it not been for injuries to fellow forwards Thadee Cisowski and Reims team-mate Rene Bliard.
The striker went on to score in every game in Sweden, including four goals in a 6-3 win over West Germany in the third-place play-off.
In total, Fontaine scored 30 goals in just 31 appearances for France between 1953 and 1960.
He spent much of his club career at Stade de Reims, where he scored 145 goals in 152 appearances, winning three Ligue 1 titles and reaching the 1959 European Cup final, where they lost to a Real Madrid side containing Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.
He also played for Nice and Moroccan side USM Casablanca but was forced to retire in 1962 at the age of just 28, after suffering a double leg fracture.
In 2004, he was named on Brazil Legend, Pele’s list of the 125 greatest living footballers.
Coaching career
As a manager, Fontaine had two games in charge of France in 1967 before leading Paris St-Germain to promotion to the top division in 1974, where they have remained ever since.
A short spell at Toulouse followed before he took charge of Morocco, the country of his birth, leading them to third place at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations.
