Just Fontaine's 1958 World Cup Goal Record Remains Unbroken

Kathmandu. Many players leave their mark on the biggest stage of world football, the FIFA World Cup, which is held every four years. Some are remembered by fans for a long time, while others disappear. In this regard, a record set 68 years ago in the World Cup with 13 goals still stands today. That record holder is France's striker Just Fontaine.

Fontaine's story is no less than a fictional movie. In the 1958 World Cup, when he scored 13 goals, he didn't even wear his own shoes. Even more interesting is that he was not even a starter for France. Coincidentally, before the World Cup started, France's main striker Rene Biliard got injured, and Fontaine got a chance to play. But he didn't have suitable shoes to play in. He borrowed shoes from his friend Stephane Brue and took to the field.

With those borrowed shoes, he created the biggest sensation in football history. In today's era, the top scorer in the World Cup is given the 'Golden Boot'. But in 1958, there was no such award. Impressed by Fontaine's accurate aim, a Swedish newspaper gifted him an 'air rifle' as a prize.

Today, the world's best goal scorers like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, and Erling Haaland are struggling to get close to Fontaine's record. Since the 1970 World Cup, only three times has any player scored more than 6 goals. Although Mbappe and Messi scored 8 and 7 goals respectively in the 2022 World Cup, Fontaine's tally of 13 goals still seems very far away. Even though the number of matches will increase to 8 in the 2026 World Cup, it is considered almost impossible to break that record set by Fontaine in just 6 games.

Born in Marrakesh, Morocco in 1933, Fontaine later played international football for France. He scored in every game of the 1958 World Cup.

He scored a hat-trick in the first match against Paraguay and scored 4 goals alone in the third-place match against West Germany. Even when they lost 5-2 to Pele's Brazil in the semi-finals, he didn't stop scoring.

Fontaine's playing career was as high as its end was tragic. In 1960, at the young age of 28, he had to retire from football due to a broken leg. He scored 30 goals in just 21 games for France. If the injury had not stopped him, many football records would have been in Fontaine's name today.

In 2014, FIFA honored him with a special 'Platinum Boot', albeit late. Fontaine, who passed away on March 1, 2023, at the age of 89, used to joke, 'Even when I return after 200 years, my record will remain.'