World Cup 2026: Just Fontaine, World Cup goalscorer

Fontaine is a relative unknown to modern viewers compared to those who have vainly chased the race record for the past 68 years. While Pele, Messi and others are regarded as the best male players, Fontaine is now a commonplace.

But that’s to understate Fontaine’s remarkable life and career – he would represent a different country if he were playing in modern times.

In the year The quarter-final between France and Morocco in 2026 was a fair Fontaine derby. He was born in Marrakesh in August 1933 – at the time Morocco was a French protectorate.

Morocco gained independence two years before the 1958 World Cup, but by then Fontaine was an established international footballer playing in the French league – thus representing Les Bleus.

And as sports journalist and historian Philip Barker told BBC Sport, if all had gone to plan for France, Fontaine would never have started the World Cup games in Sweden.

“Obviously he wasn’t first choice – his team-mate (René Bliard) was injured in the warm-up. “It was a last-minute change, he had to borrow a pair of boots (from team-mate Stephane Bruy) for the opening game because they didn’t fit him.

“Now imagine something very different from what we have now.

“Fontaine was a doubt for the tournament because he had surgery on his meniscus (cartilage in his knee) during the season. But he is new to the tournament – other players have had a long, difficult season.”