French soccer legend Just Fontaine has died. The French news agency AFP reported on Wednesday with reference to the former footballer’s family. The World Cup record scorer was 89 years old. At the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, Fontaine scored 13 goals for Les Bleus – more than any other player at a World Cup.
“A monument to French football has left us,” Fontaine’s ex-club Paris Saint-Germain wrote on Twitter: “It’s a sad day for all Paris supporters.” As a coach, Fontaine had led PSG to the first division in 1974.
Fontaine was born on August 18, 1933 in Marrakech/Morocco. His love for football sparked at a young age. He impressed with US Marocaine Casablanca in the early 1950s with numerous goals. He moved to OGC Nice and later to Stade Reims. In 1953 he was in the French national team for the first time. By 1960, Fontaine had scored 30 goals in just 21 international matches for the French.
1958 was the peak
He experienced the high point of his career in 1958: First, the striker won the league and cup double with his club Stade Reims, then he finished third and top scorer with France at the World Cup in Sweden.
In the league, Fontaine scored 34 goals in 26 games, in the cup final he scored once and provided two assists. In Sweden, the striker benefited from the fact that the national team consisted largely of players from Stade Reims. National coach Albert Batteux was also Fontaine’s club coach.
In an article for the Tagesspiegel in 2010, Fontaine recalled the 1958 World Cup: “We flew to Sweden a month and a half before the start of the tournament to prepare. The French press slandered that we went there first because we would certainly be the first to leave.”
The player known as “Justo” had to end his career after serious injuries in his late twenties. This was followed by positions as a coach with the French and later the Moroccan national football team. Paris Saint-Germain coached Fontaine from 1973 to 1976. (dpa/Tsp)
Source: Tagesspiegel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
