Fontaine scored 13 goals in six matches for France at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, finding the net in every game.
His opportunity came unexpectedly. Rene Bliard was injured in a warm-up match, and Fontaine was promoted despite having only five international caps. Historian Philip Barker said the change came so late that Fontaine borrowed boots from team-mate Stephane Bruey for France’s opening match.
The new arrival responded with a hat-trick in a 7-3 win over Paraguay. He scored again in every subsequent game, including four in France’s 6-3 victory over West Germany in the third-place play-off.
Born in Marrakesh in 1933, Fontaine’s story crossed the footballing histories of Morocco and France. He became an established figure in French football before Morocco gained independence, then led France’s attack on its biggest international stage.
His club career was equally significant. Fontaine won four Ligue 1 titles, one with Nice and three with Reims. The latter completed a league and cup double in 1957-58, before reaching the European Cup final the following season.
Reims lost that final to Real Madrid, but Fontaine finished as the competition’s leading scorer with 10 goals. His career later extended into coaching, including spells with France, Paris Saint-Germain, Toulouse and Morocco. He also helped establish the French players’ union and became its first president.
Fontaine died in 2023, but his record continues to frame every World Cup scoring surge. The next knockout rounds will reveal whether the modern contenders can narrow the gap-or leave his remarkable benchmark untouched for another generation.