Just Louis Fontaine (; 18 August 193328 February 2023) was a French professional footballer who played as a striker. He holds the record for the most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup, with thirteen in six matches at the 1958 tournament.

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

Early life and football career Born in Marrakesh, French Morocco, to a French father and a Spanish mother, Fontaine moved to Casablanca, where he attended the Lycée Lyautey.

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.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. It is also the highest number of goals scored by a player at a single World Cup tournament. , 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.

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, 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.

After retirement

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. 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.

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. He died in Toulouse on 28 February 2023 at the age of 89.

Career statistics Club

+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsUS Marocaine1950–51Moroccan Football League1623———16231951–52Moroccan Football League1017———10171952–53Moroccan Football League2222———2222Total4862———4862Nice1953–54Division 1241773——31201954–55Division 1282042——32221955–56Division 117534—10219Total6942149—108451Reims1956–57Division 1313011——32311957–58Division 1263465——32391958–59Division 13224227101042361959–60Division 1282822——30301960–61Division 1740010—841961–62Division 17213——85Total131122121381010152145Career total248226262281020284258

International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsFrance19531319540019550019561019571019581218195947196022Total2130

Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fontaine goal

+ List of international goals scored by Just FontaineNo.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition117 December 1953 Parc des Princes, Paris, France 1 4–0 8–0 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification26–037–04 13 March 1958 Parc des Princes, Paris, France 4 1–1 2–2 Friendly58 June 1958 Idrottsparken, Norrköping, Sweden 6 1–1 7–3 1958 FIFA World Cup62–175–3811 June 1958 Arosvallen, Västerås, Sweden 7 1–0 2–31958 FIFA World Cup92–210 15 June 1958 Eyravallen, Örebro, Sweden 8 2–0 2–11958 FIFA World Cup1119 June 1958 Idrottsparken, Norrköping, Sweden 9 2–0 4–01958 FIFA World Cup123–013 24 June 1958 Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden 10 1–1 2–51958 FIFA World Cup1428 June 1958 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden 11 1–0 6–31958 FIFA World Cup153–1165–2176–3181 October 1958 Parc des Princes, Paris, France 12 2–0 7–1 UEFA Euro 1960 qualifiers196–120 5 October 1958 Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria 13 2–1 2–1 Friendly21 9 November 1958 Stade Olympique de Colombes, Colombes, France 15 2–2 2–2 Friendly2211 November 1959 Stade Olympique de Colombes, Colombes, France 17 1–0 5–3 Friendly234–2245–22513 December 1959 Stade Olympique de Colombes, Colombes, France 18 1–0 5–2 UEFA Euro 1960 qualifiers262–0274–228 17 December 1959 Parc des Princes, Paris, France 19 2–1 4–3 Friendly2916 March 1960 Parc des Princes, Paris, France 20 4–0 6–0 Friendly305–0

Honours Player Nice Division 1: 1955–56 Coupe de France: 1953–54

Reims Division 1: 1957–58, 1959–60, 1961–62 Coupe de France: 1957–58 Trophée des Champions: 1958, 1960 European Cup: runner-up 1958–59

France FIFA World Cup third place: 1958

Individual Ballon d'Or third-place: 1958 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1958 Division 1 top scorer: 1957–58, 1959–60 European Cup top scorer: 1958–59 FIFA Order of Merit: 1994 Golden Foot: 2003, as a football legend FIFA 100: 2004

Manager Morocco African Cup of Nations third place: 1980

Orders Knight of the Legion of Honour: 1984 Officer of the Legion of Honour: 2013

References

External links