Just Fontaine obituary

The French footballer Just Fontaine, who has died aged 89, was one of the major surprises of the 1958 World Cup finals in Sweden. Arriving there with the France squad as a reserve striker with few expectations of being called to the colours, he ended up with the remarkable total of 13 goals – a record that will surely never be surpassed.

Fontaine’s partnership in those finals with the dazzling Raymond Kopa, the one who really pulled the strings, was jaw-dropping. “Those French forwards are like greased lightning,” remarked Tommy Docherty, then a Scotland wing-half. Sturdily built, Fontaine had pace, together with a flair for knowing when and where the ball was coming to him; especially from Kopa, who operated as a deep-lying centre-forward.

He had gone to Sweden expecting to deputise for the Reims striker René Bliard. In the event Bliard was injured and Fontaine was picked for the opening game in Norrköping against Paraguay, having to borrow a pair of boots as his own were not up to the job.

The South Americans scored first, but thereafter it became the Kopa and Fontaine show. France, devoid of a winning game all year, simply tore the opposing defence to shreds. Fontaine, who had said in training camp, “I am our centre-forward only till Kopa arrives”, let alone Bliard, was in blistering form. The attacking trio was made up by the talented Roger Piantoni.

Fontaine equalised the opening goal by Florencio Amarilla, and the floodgates opened with France winning 7-3, Fontaine completing a hat-trick. Even when, in the next match in Västerås, France lost 3-2 to a gifted Yugoslavia side, Fontaine bagged a couple more, the first coming four minutes from kick-off, the second four minutes from the end. Next came Scotland in Örebro,