Who scored a record 13 goals for France at the 1958 FIFA World Cup?
Answer
Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine scored a record 13 goals for France at the 1958 FIFA World Cup.
Fontaine achieved the mark in Sweden, where France finished third. He scored in every match France played, including four goals against West Germany in the third-place playoff. His 13 goals remain the highest total by a player in a single men’s World Cup tournament.
The record is even more remarkable because Fontaine played only six matches in that edition. He was originally not expected to be France’s main striker, but an injury to teammate René Bliard helped place him in the starting lineup.
Fontaine’s total is often confused with career World Cup records. Germany’s Miroslav Klose holds the overall tournament record with 16 goals across four editions, while Fontaine holds the single-tournament record.