Iconic World Cup Moments: Just Fontaine's 13-goal World Cup
“Beating my record? I don't think it can ever be done.” Those were the words of Just Fontaine, former Nice, Reims and France striker. For a footballer to be that confident about something he achieved, not only does he have to be one of the best, but the record he holds must also be pretty special. Even then, given how records are being broken left, right and centre these days, the air of confidence that surrounded his words was still a sight to behold.
For all the advancements in technologies, sports science and the way the game has evolved over the years, football is still a very simple game. The team that puts the ball in the back of the net more often than the other wins the game. Although the game has become a lot more technical and has seen the rise of a lot of new positions, one role still remains the same. Whilst the names might have gotten a lot fancier, the job of the striker is still to put the ball in the net and help his side win games by scoring goals.
The 1958 World Cup saw the rise of a striker that would take the World Cup by storm and etch his place into the annals of football folklore. While it was Pelé who guided Brazil to their maiden World Cup, he wasn’t the striker who made all the headlines throughout the tournament. Instead it was a young, unfancied Frenchman who had only played two games for his country before the start of the World Cup that made all the heads turn in Sweden.
Just Fontaine came into the World Cup as the leading goal scorer in France and after helping his club Reims to a League and Cup double in the 1957/58. Although there was a sense of doom and gloom about the national side who came to Sweden, Fontaine and his Real Madrid-bound teammate, Raymond Kopa were two players on whom the nation had very high hopes.
Short, stocky but blessed with a supernatural awareness inside the penalty area, Fontaine had all the quintessential qualities to become a top-class striker. And to top it all off, he had Raymond Kopa, a number 10 par excellence as his supply line. Their partnership, although short-lived, were the stuff of legends and excited one and all in Sweden. The duo had developed an almost telepathic understanding and a French side that was dismissed before the tournament finished third, with Fontaine finishing as the top scorer with 13 goals in what would be his only World Cup appearance.