144
Just Fontaine, who holds the record for the most goals scored at a single World Cup, has died at the age of 89.
France finished third at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden thanks to Fontaine’s 13 goals in six games.
Alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi, he is tied for fourth place among all World Cup goal scorers.
His former team Stade de Reims described him as “a star of French football, an exceptional attacker, and a renowned Reims player.”
The fact that Fontaine only participated in the 1958 World Cup makes the fact that only three players have scored more goals at World Cups make it more impressive.
Fontaine wouldn’t have been a part of the French team in the 1958 finals if Thadee Cisowski and Rene Bliard, two other forwards, hadn’t been injured.
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 only 31 appearances for France between 1953 and 1960.
He played for Stade de Reims for the majority of his club career, scoring 145 goals in 152 appearances, winning three Ligue 1 championships, and reached the 1959 European Cup final, where they lost to Real Madrid .
He also played for Nice and the Moroccan team USM Casablanca, but a double leg injury caused him to retire in 1962 at the age of 28.
Before switching allegiance to France, Fontaine had coaching spells at Paris St-Germain, Toulouse, and Morocco, the country where the player was born.
In 2004 he was named on Brazil legend Pele’s list of the 125 greatest living footballers.