Just Fontaine, a “monument of French football” who in 1958 scored a record 13 goals in a single edition of the World Cup, has died aged 89. The striker scored 30 goals in 21 internationals for France between 1953 and 1960, but he will be remembered for the mark he set in Sweden when he was instrumental in Les Bleus reaching the semi-finals.
In his club career, Fontaine’s strike rate was as impressive. He scored 259 goals from 283 matches and was one of the key players of the Stade de Reims team who reached the European Cup final in 1959. Reims, who won three French top‑flight titles with Fontaine between 1958 and 1962, lost 2-0 against Real Madrid but he was the competition’s top scorer with 10 goals.
