Just Fontaine: France’s 1958 World Cup-record goalscorer dies | Football News

Just Fontaine, the French soccer nice who scored a file 13 objectives on the 1958 World Cup, has died aged 89.

Fontaine’s former membership Reims introduced his demise on Wednesday.

Fontaine took six video games to attain his feat on the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, when he was a last-minute inclusion within the France squad.

Entering the match, Moroccan-born Fontaine was a little-known ahead exterior of the French league. Yet he tormented opponents along with his pace and final touch – and even with another person’s boots. He needed to borrow a pair of cleats after damaging his personal boots in observe.

Fontaine scored 4 objectives within the third-place sport in opposition to West Germany, however might have had 5 if he had taken the penalty kick.

The highest scorer on the World Cup is now acknowledged with the Golden Boot. Fontaine set the file when FIFA didn’t current a selected award for the match’s prime scorer.

“Beating my record? I don’t think it can ever be done,” Fontaine informed The Associated Press in a 2006 interview. “The person who wants to beat me has a massive task, doesn’t he? He has to score two goals per game over seven games.”

Playing within the days when no substitutions had been allowed, France misplaced 5-2 within the semi-finals in opposition to a Brazil crew that includes 17-year-old Pele.

Fontaine, who scored in each match, gave France an early lead with the primary purpose Brazil conceded within the match. But at 1-1, France defender Robert Jonquet broke his leg. Amazingly, he performed on, attempting to deal with the genius of Pele, however the French defence was significantly weakened.

The file for many objectives scored in a World Cup profession is 16 by Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who performed in 4 tournaments. Fontaine, who broke the file of 11 objectives Hungary striker Sndor Kocsis scored on the 1954 match, solely performed at one World Cup.

Fontaine’s meteoric rise as a scorer noticed him internet 200 objectives in 213 video games. He scored 30 objectives in 21 video games for France.

Fontaine’s profession was dramatically lower quick when he was solely 28. The Frenchman – famend for his lightning tempo and ruthless ending – suffered a horrendous leg fracture after a mistimed deal with in March 1960.