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:Just Fontaine

{{Short description|French footballer (1933–2023)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Just Fontaine

| image = 23.05.66 Just Fontaine dans son magasin (1966) - 53Fi634 (Cropped).jpg

| caption = Fontaine in 1966

| full_name = Just Louis Fontaine{{cite journal |date=14 July 2019 |title=Décret du 12 juillet 2013 portant promotion et nomination |trans-title=Decree of 12 July 2013 on promotion and appointment |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000027697953 |journal=Official Journal of the French Republic |volume=2013 |issue=162 |id=PREX1316852D |access-date=15 March 2025 |language=fr}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|1933|8|18|df=y}}

| birth_place = Marrakech, French Morocco

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|2|28|1933|8|18|df=y}}

| death_place = Toulouse, France

| height = 1.74 m

| position = Striker

| years1 = 1950–1953

| clubs1 = USM Casablanca

| caps1 = 48

| goals1 = 62

| years2 = 1953–1956

| clubs2 = Nice

| caps2 = 69

| goals2 = 42

| years3 = 1956–1962

| clubs3 = Reims

| caps3 = 131

| goals3 = 122

| totalcaps = 248

| totalgoals = 226

| nationalyears1 = 1953–1960

| nationalteam1 = France

| nationalcaps1 = 21

| nationalgoals1 = 30

| manageryears1 = 1967

| managerclubs1 = France

| manageryears2 = 1968–1969

| managerclubs2 = Luchon

| manageryears3 = 1973–1976

| managerclubs3 = Paris Saint-Germain

| manageryears4 = 1978–1979

| managerclubs4 = Toulouse

| manageryears5 = 1979–1981

| managerclubs5 = Morocco

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport|Men's football}}

{{MedalCountry|{{fb|FRA}} (as player)}}

{{MedalCompetition|FIFA World Cup}}

{{Medal|3rd|1958|}}

{{MedalCountry|{{fb|MAR}} (as manager)}}

{{MedalCompetition|Africa Cup of Nations}}

{{Medal|3rd|1980|}}

}}

Just Louis Fontaine (18 August 1933{{dash}}28 February 2023) was a French professional footballer who played as a striker. He scored the most goals ever in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup, with thirteen in six matches in the 1958 tournament.{{cite web|last=Kaufman |first=Michelle |url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/23/1643500/countdown-to-the-world-cup.html |title=Countdown to the World Cup – Total Soccer, Fútbol Total |publisher=MiamiHerald.com |access-date=28 April 2011}} In March 2004, Pelé named him one of his 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3533891.stm |title=Pele's list of the greatest |publisher=BBC Sport |date=4 March 2004 |access-date=18 November 2013 }}

Football career

Born in Marrakech, French Morocco, to a French father and a Spanish mother,{{cite web|url=http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/uk/en/contisoccerworld/themes/01_background/10_2014_fifa_world_cup/45_world_cup_stars/1958-fontaine-en.html |title=1958 FIFA World Cup star: Just Fontaine |access-date=31 December 2016}} Fontaine moved to Casablanca, where he attended the Lycée Lyautey.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

Fontaine began his amateur career at USM Casablanca, 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, one time in 1958, and the other in 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/01/just-fontaine-france-record-world-cup-goalscorer-dies-aged-89 |title=Just Fontaine, France's record World Cup goalscorer, dies aged 89 |date=1 March 2023 |website=The Guardian |accessdate=1 March 2023}}

File:Fontaine1958.jpg at the 1958 FIFA World Cup.]]

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. However, he will best be remembered for his 1958 FIFA World Cup performance, where he scored 13 goals in just six matches – a feat that included putting four past defending champions West Germany. It is also the highest number of goals ever scored by one player at a single World Cup tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=15/overview.html |title=1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden ™ |publisher=FIFA |access-date=28 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016214323/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition%3D15/overview.html |archive-date=16 October 2013 }}{{Cite web |last=Short |first=Joe |date=13 December 2022 |title=Most goals in a World Cup single tournament: All-time scoring records |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sport/football/world-cup-most-goals/ |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=Radio Times |language=en}} This tally secured him the Golden Boot.{{cite web|url=http://thefootballhistoryboys.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/1958-world-cup-wales-finest-hour.html|title=1958 World Cup: Wales' Finest Hour|website=thefootballhistoryboys.blogspot.co.uk}} {{As of|2022}}, he is tied with Lionel Messi as the fourth-top scorer in FIFA World Cup history, with each of the three ahead of him - Gerd Müller (14 goals), Ronaldo (15 goals) and Miroslav Klose (16 goals) - having played in at least two tournaments.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64808839 |title=Just Fontaine: Former France striker and World Cup record holder dies aged 89 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=1 March 2023 |access-date=1 March 2023}}

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,{{cite web |url=https://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2023/03/884805/world-cup-finals-record-goal-scorer-just-fontaine-dies |date=1 March 2023 |accessdate=1 March 2023 |title=Record World Cup Scorer dies at 89 |work=New Straits Times}} overseeing the emergence of such players as Badou Zaki, Mohammed Timoumi and Aziz Bouderbala. Morocco reached the final stage of 1982 World Cup qualifying but were beaten by Cameroon. As sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain F.C., he managed to help promote the club to the first division.

After retirement

File:Just Fontaine 2016.jpg

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 50 years by the French Football Federation in the UEFA Jubilee Awards in November 2003.{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/Kind%3D256/newsId%3D130150.html |title=Golden Players take centre stage |access-date=11 June 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040312203128/http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/Kind%3D256/newsId%3D130150.html |archive-date=12 March 2004 }} With Eugène N'Jo Léa he founded the National Union of Professional Football Players in 1961. He criticized the performance of the French team in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, particularly on the lackluster play of the forwards.{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/796025/ce/uk/?cc=3888&ver=global |title=France legend Fontaine blasts forwards |publisher=ESPN |date=11 July 2010 |access-date=28 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427101236/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/796025/ce/uk/?cc=3888&ver=global |archive-date=27 April 2011 }} Fontaine died in Toulouse, where he had lived for 60 years, on 28 February 2023{{cite web | url=https://deces.matchid.io/id/-AY7pO1jr9rT | title=MatchID - Moteur de recherche des décès }} at the age of 89.{{cite web|url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/2023/03/01/mort-de-just-fontaine-les-obseques-de-lancien-footballeur-seront-celebrees-a-toulouse-le-lundi-6-mars-11031504.php |title=Mort de Just Fontaine : les obsèques de l'ancien footballeur seront célébrées à Toulouse, le lundi 6 mars |publisher=La Dépêche du Midi |date=2 March 2023 |access-date=2 March 2023 }}

Career statistics

=Club=

{{More citations needed|sect|date=March 2023}}

class=wikitable style=text-align:center

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

rowspan=2|Club

!rowspan=2|Season

!colspan=3|League

!colspan=2|Cup

!colspan=2|Continental

!colspan=2|Other

!colspan=2|Total

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
rowspan=4|USM Casablanca

|1950–51

|Moroccan Football League

|16

23colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—1623
1951–52

|Moroccan Football League

|10

17colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—1017
1952–53

|Moroccan Football League

|22

22colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—2222
colspan=2|Total

!|48||62||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||48||62

rowspan=4|Nice

|1953–54

|Division 1

|24

1773colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—3120
1954–55

|Division 1

|28

2042colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—3222
1955–56

|Division 1

|17

534colspan="2"|—1{{efn|Appearance in Challenge des Champions}}0219
colspan=2|Total

!|69||42||14||9||colspan="2"|—||1||0||84||51

rowspan=7|Reims

|1956–57

|Division 1

|31

3011colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—3231
1957–58

|Division 1

|26

3465colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—3239
1958–59

|Division 1

|32

24227{{efn|name=CL|Appearances in European Cup}}101{{efn|Appearance in Coupe Charles Drago}}04236
1959–60

|Division 1

|28

2822colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—3030
1960–61

|Division 1

|7

4001{{efn|name=CL}}0colspan="2"|—84
1961–62

|Division 1

|7

213colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—85
colspan=2|Total

!|131||122||12||13||8||10||1||0||152||145

colspan=3|Career total

!|248||226||26||22||8||10||2||0||284||258

{{Notelist}}

=International=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/fontaine-intlg.html |title=Just Fontaine – Goals in International Matches |website=www.rsssf.org |access-date=28 April 2011}}

National teamYearAppsGoals
rowspan="8"|France

|1953

13
195400
195500
195610
195710
19581218
195947
196022
colspan="2"|Total2130

:Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fontaine goal{{cite news|url=http://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=6129|title=Just Fontaine - national football team player|publisher=EU-Football.info|date=14 July 2016|access-date=14 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226154452/https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=6129|archive-date=26 February 2020}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Just Fontaine

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col" data-sort-type="date"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Cap

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

align="center"|1

| rowspan="3"|17 December 1953

rowspan="3"|Parc des Princes, Paris, Francerowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|1rowspan="3"|{{fb|LUX}}align="center"|4–0rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|8–0rowspan="3"|1954 FIFA World Cup qualification
align="center"|2

| align="center"|6–0

align="center"|3

| align="center"|7–0

align="center"|4

| 13 March 1958

Parc des Princes, Paris, Francealign="center"|4{{fb|ESP|1945}}align="center"|1–1align="center"|2–2Friendly
align="center"|5

| rowspan="3"|8 June 1958

rowspan="3"|Idrottsparken, Norrköping, Swedenrowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|6rowspan="3"|{{fb|PAR|1954}}align="center"|1–1rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|7–3rowspan="3"|1958 FIFA World Cup
align="center"|6

| align="center"|2–1

align="center"|7

| align="center"|5–3

align="center"|8

| rowspan="2"|11 June 1958

rowspan="2"|Arosvallen, Västerås, Swedenrowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|7rowspan="2"|{{fb|YUG}}align="center"|1–0rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2–3

| rowspan="2"|1958 FIFA World Cup

align="center"|9

| align="center"|2–2

align="center"|10

| 15 June 1958

Eyravallen, Örebro, Swedenalign="center"|8{{fb|SCO}}align="center"|2–0align="center"|2–1

|1958 FIFA World Cup

align="center"|11

| rowspan="2"|19 June 1958

rowspan="2"|Idrottsparken, Norrköping, Swedenrowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|9rowspan="2"|{{fb|NIR}}align="center"|2–0rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|4–0

| rowspan="2"|1958 FIFA World Cup

align="center"|12

| align="center"|3–0

align="center"|13

| 24 June 1958

Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Swedenalign="center"|10{{fb|BRA|1889}}align="center"|1–1align="center"|2–5

|1958 FIFA World Cup

align="center"|14

| rowspan="4"|28 June 1958

rowspan="4"|Ullevi, Gothenburg, Swedenrowspan="4" style="text-align:center"|11rowspan="4"|{{fb|FRG}}align="center"|1–0rowspan="4" style="text-align:center"|6–3

| rowspan="4"|1958 FIFA World Cup

align="center"|15

| align="center"|3–1

align="center"|16

| align="center"|5–2

align="center"|17

| align="center"|6–3

align="center"|18

| rowspan="2"|1 October 1958

rowspan="2"|Parc des Princes, Paris, Francerowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|12rowspan="2"|{{fb|GRE|old}}align="center"|2–0rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|7–1rowspan="2"|UEFA Euro 1960 qualifiers
align="center"|19

| align="center"|6–1

align="center"|20

| 5 October 1958

Praterstadion, Vienna, Austriaalign="center"|13{{fb|AUT}}align="center"|2–1align="center"|2–1Friendly
align="center"|21

| 9 November 1958

Stade Olympique de Colombes, Colombes, Francealign="center"|15{{fb|ITA}}align="center"|2–2align="center"|2–2Friendly
align="center"|22

| rowspan="3"|11 November 1959

rowspan="3"|Stade Olympique de Colombes, Colombes, Francerowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|17rowspan="3"|{{fb|POR}}align="center"|1–0rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|5–3rowspan="3"|Friendly
align="center"|23

| align="center"|4–2

align="center"|24

| align="center"|5–2

align="center"|25

| rowspan="3"|13 December 1959

rowspan="3"|Stade Olympique de Colombes, Colombes, Francerowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|18rowspan="3"|{{fb|AUT}}align="center"|1–0rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|5–2rowspan="3"|UEFA Euro 1960 qualifiers
align="center"|26

| align="center"|2–0

align="center"|27

| align="center"|4–2

align="center"|28

| 17 December 1959

Parc des Princes, Paris, Francealign="center"|19{{fb|ESP|1945}}align="center"|2–1align="center"|4–3Friendly
align="center"|29

| rowspan="2"|16 March 1960

rowspan="2"|Parc des Princes, Paris, Francerowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|20rowspan="2"|{{fb|CHI}}align="center"|4–0rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|6–0rowspan="2"|Friendly
align="center"|30

| align="center"|5–0

Honours

=Player=

Nice{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Reims{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

France{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Individual

  • Ballon d'Or third-place: 1958{{Cite web |title=European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1958 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/europa-poy58.html |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=www.rsssf.org}}
  • FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1958{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}
  • Division 1 top scorer: 1957–58, 1959–60{{Cite web |title=Saison 1959/1960 Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Coupe Charles Drago, Classement, Résultats |url=http://www.pari-et-gagne.com/saison195960.html |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=www.pari-et-gagne.com}}
  • European Cup top scorer: 1958–59
  • FIFA Order of Merit: 1994{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}
  • Golden Foot: 2003, as a football legend{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenfoot.com/legends.php?l=en |title=Legends |publisher=Golden Foot |access-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925120930/http://www.goldenfoot.com/legends.php?l=en |archive-date=25 September 2015 }}
  • FIFA 100: 2004

=Manager=

Morocco

=Orders=

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{commons category}}

  • {{FFF player}}
  • {{UEFA player}}
  • {{FIFA player}}

{{Navboxes

| title = Awards

| bg = gold

| fg = navy

| list1 =

{{1958 FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament}}

{{FIFA World Cup Golden Boot}}

{{UEFA Champions League top scorers}}

{{Ligue 1 top scorers}}

{{FIFA 100}}

{{UEFA Jubilee Awards}}

{{Golden Foot Legends Award}}

}}

{{France squad 1958 FIFA World Cup}}

{{Navboxes

| title = Managerial positions

| list1 =

{{France national football team managers}}

{{Paris Saint-Germain F.C. managers}}

{{Toulouse FC managers}}

{{Morocco national football team managers}}

}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fontaine, Just}}

Category:1933 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:Footballers from Marrakesh

Category:French men's footballers

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:OGC Nice players

Category:Stade de Reims players

Category:Ligue 1 players

Category:France men's international footballers

Category:1958 FIFA World Cup players

Category:UEFA Golden Players

Category:UEFA Champions League top scorers

Category:FIFA 100

Category:French football managers

Category:France national football team managers

Category:Paris Saint-Germain FC managers

Category:Toulouse FC managers

Category:Morocco national football team managers

Category:Ligue 2 managers

Category:Ligue 1 managers

Category:French expatriate football managers

Category:Expatriate football managers in Morocco

Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Morocco

Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour

Category:Officers of the Legion of Honour

Category:French people of Spanish descent

Category:Sportspeople of Spanish descent

Category:Alumni of Lycée Lyautey (Casablanca)

Category:20th-century French sportsmen