In March 1938, Austria had already qualified for the upcoming World Cup, and were among the favourites to win it. One month later, Austria no longer existed.

This is the story of Austria’s Wunderteam, their sudden disappearance, and the mysterious death of their star player.

Introduction

When you think of legendary teams, who comes to mind? Barcelona in the late 2000’s? Madrid and their three-peat? United’s 1999 treble winners?

What about international sides? Brazil 1970? Spains all-conquering 2008-2012 side? Maybe even Hungary’s “Mighty Magyars”? One side that probably doesn’t come to mind is the Austrian “Wunderteam” of the 1930s. Yet before Brazil’s 1970 side, before Hungary’s Mighty Magyars and before Spain’s golden generation, many considered them to be the finest team in international football.

Between April 1931 and May 1934 they lost just 2 matches, winning 20, drawing 7 and scoring just shy of 100 goals. Even in those rare defeats, there were small wins. They became the first team to ever score more than once away to England as they lost 4-3 at Stamford Bridge.

The architects of Austria’s rise were Hugo Meisl, a visionary coach who believed in playing football with intelligence, technique and movement rather than physicality alone, and an English coach named Jimmy Hogan. The star of the side was Matthias Sindelar, a slender, elegant forward nicknamed “Der Papierene” - “The Paper Man” in English - due to his slight frame. Together, they would transform Austria into one of the most feared teams in the world.

Building the Wunderteam

Hugo Meisl became joint coach of the Austrian national team, alongside Heinrich Retschury, in 1913, before taking full control in 1919. It was after a poor performance in a 1-1 draw with Hungary that Meisl would ask the match referee, Englishman James Howcroft, how he could improve his side. Howcroft pointed him in the direction of Jimmy Hogan.

Hogan was still relatively unknown at this point, but would go on to become one of the most influential football minds of his generation. Long before possession football became fashionable, he advocated short passing, movement and technical superiority. He coached across Europe and decades later people would argue that many of the tactical ideas behind the Wunderteam, the Mighty Magyars, and even Dutch Total Football could be traced back, at least in part, to him.

At just 28 years old, he’d moved to the Netherlands to coach Dordrecht. The decision stemmed from a pre season match in which his own club, Bolton Wanderers, had beaten the Dutch side 10-0. Shocked by the gulf in quality, Hogan vowed to return and “teach those fellows how to play properly”.

The Paper Man

For all of Meisl and Hogan’s tactical innovations, they still needed someone to bring them to life on the pitch. That player was Matthias Sindelar.

Yet Austria’s greatest ever footballer almost never got the opportunity.

“The Paper Man” looked nothing like the powerful centre forwards of his era. Meisl himself was unconvinced, reportedly describing him as having “the physique of a child”.

Despite outside clamour for his inclusion, it took until an injury crisis in 1926 for Sindelar to receive his chance. Ahead of a match against Czechoslovakia, Austria found themselves short of attacking options and turned to the young forward. He repaid their faith immediately, scoring one and setting up the other in a 2-1 victory.

Even then, his place was far from secure. Four years later, following a disappointing draw against the same opposition, Meisl singled out Sindelar for criticism. He would go on to feature in just one of Austria’s next fifteen internationals.

Had things ended there, football history might remember Sindelar as little more than a footnote.

Instead, Jimmy Hogan intervened. Convinced Austria’s future lay in technical, intelligent football, Hogan persuaded Meisl not only to recall Sindelar, but to build the team around him. It would prove one of the most important decisions in Austrian football history.

The Rise of the Wunderteam

Sindelar returned to the fold for the visit of Scotland. A footballing giant who’d never lost a game in continental Europe, they saw the match as little more than a formality. The Scottish FA rested the entire Rangers and Celtic contingent, and Scotland were duly sent home on the wrong end of a 5-0 defeat. The Wunderteam was born.

Austria would spend the remainder of 1931 globetrotting around Europe handing out spankings to almost everyone. They won 6-0 in Germany before beating them again 5-0 in Austria four months later. Switzerland were dismantled 8-1. The only team to avoid defeat were Hungary in a 2-2 draw. Six months later, in April 1932, the teams would meet again. Austria would win 8-2, with Sindelar scoring 3 and assisting the other 5.

Even in the previously mentioned 4-3 loss to England, Sindelar stood out. Match referee John Langenus would later comment “Sindelar’s goal was a masterpiece, which no-one else - no-one before him and no-one after him - could possibly have scored against opponents as good as the English. Starting on the halfway line, Sindelar set off and, in his inimitably elegant manner, dribbled round everything which came at him, finishing with a backheel into the net.”

The 1934 World Cup of controversy

The 1934 World Cup was controversial before it even started. Hosted by fascist Italy under Mussolini, it was as much a propaganda show as it was a football World Cup. On top of that, current world champions Uruguay had refused to participate in retaliation for many European nations not coming to their inaugural World Cup hosted four years earlier. In fact, following withdrawals from Chile and Peru, Brazil and Argentina were the sole representatives of South America.

The British Home Nations also refused participation, even when FIFA offered England and Scotland direct entry to the tournament without qualification. Charles Sutcliffe, a committee member of the FA, called the tournament “a joke” and said “the national associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland have quite enough to do in their own International Championship, which seems to me a far better World Championship than the one to be staged in Rome".

Still, by the time the 1934 World Cup rolled around, Austria were no longer just an exciting underdog. They were widely regarded as the best team in international football. Built by Meisl, inspired by Hogan and orchestrated by Sindelar, the Wunderteam arrived in Italy as favourites to become world champions. Just three months before the World Cup, they’d beaten Italy 4-2 in Turin to win the Central European International Cup - often regarded as the predecessor to the Euros. Italy may have been the hosts, but many considered the Wunderteam to be the stronger side. Sindelar was at the peak of his powers, Meisl’s system had revolutionised continental football, and many expected Austria to leave Italy as world champions.

What followed remains one of the most controversial World Cup tournaments in football history.

Things didn’t start particularly smoothly for the Wunderteam. They faced France in their opening match, managed by Englishman George Kimpton. Austria found themselves 1-0 down after just 18 minutes before Sindelar levelled shortly before half time.

A goalless second half followed, making this the first World Cup match ever to require extra time. Austria scored twice in the additional period - the second via a 21 year old Josef Bican - and, despite a late French penalty, they held on to win 3-2.

Shared style, intense jealousy

In the quarter finals, Austria would renew their rivalry with Hungary - the oldest international football rivalry in continental Europe. By 1934, they had already played 75 times in just over 30 years.

While Hungary held the historically superior record, the rise of the Wunderteam had flipped the script. Austria had not lost to their neighbours since September 1930, a remarkable run spanning 7 matches, including the famous 8-2 victory in which Sindelar scored three and assisted the other five.

Their rivalry was unique because both nations played the same brand of football. Together, Austria and Hungary helped pioneer the “Danubian School” of football - a possession based style built on quick passes, intelligent movement and technical superiority rather than the physical “kick and rush” approach favoured in Britain.

Every meeting therefore became about more than just winning. It was about more than just national pride. Both sides wanted to prove they were the true masters of the Danubian style.

This quarter final would be different.

Rather than the tactical chess match many had anticipated, the pitch became a battleground for 90 minutes. Challenges flew in from both sides, tempers boiled over repeatedly and the elegant football that had come to define both nations was largely abandoned.

Sindelar was targeted in particular. Subjected to one crunching tackle after another throughout the game, the Paper Man left the pitch bloodied and bruised. Hugo Meisl would later describe the match as “a brawl, not an exhibition of football”.

Austria had taken the lead after just five minutes, and Karl Zischek made it 2-0 not long into the second half. Hungarian legend György Sárosi pulled one back from the penalty spot on the hour but, having earlier lost István Avar to injury, Hungary’s task became even harder when attacker Imre Markos was sent off just three minutes later.

Austria held on for the 2-1 victory, but the ramifications of the match would follow them to the semi finals.

The most controversial semi final in World Cup history

Three days later, a battered Austria side faced hosts Italy in Milan. Hans Horvath - another key member of the Wunderteam - was too injured to play at the San Siro, while Sindelar was also struggling. He had no intention of missing the match, however. “He insisted nothing would stop him playing,” Meisl later recalled.

The Italians were far from fresh themselves. Their quarter final tie against Spain had descended into one of the most brutal matches in World Cup history. Across 2 matches and 210 minutes of football, players from both sides were left injured or bleeding. Legendary Spanish goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora suffered broken ribs after repeatedly being targeted, while Italian midfielder Mario Pizziolo had his leg broken.

The tie itself became deeply controversial. Giuseppe Meazza’s equaliser in the first match was disputed by Spain, who claimed Zamora had been impeded by the legendary forward. The replay the following day proved no less contentious. With Spain forced into seven changes due to injuries, Italy won 1-0, but Spanish players were furious after seeing two goals disallowed in controversial circumstances. The first, a debatable offside. The second, a bizarre decision to disallow Spain’s goal in order to award them a free kick for a foul earlier in the move. Following the tournament, the referee would be permanently banned from officiating international football.

Spain would finish the match with only 8 men due to further injuries.

By the time Austria and Italy met in Milan, tensions were already high. The hosts had reached the semi finals amid growing controversy, while the Wunderteam arrived fatigued and depleted from their battle with Hungary.

Heavy rainfall led to the pitch becoming a waterlogged quagmire, far more suited to the robust, physical approach of the hosts than the quick passing game of Austria.

The Italians took advantage of the conditions early on when a scramble in the box led to the opening goal. Giuseppe Meazza collided with goalkeeper Peter Platzer and Enrique Guaita bundled the ball, and Platzer himself, into the net. Austrian players were adamant their keeper had been impeded, but Swedish ref Ivan Eklind was unmoved.

Luis Monti, a ruthless midfield enforcer who had actually played the World Cup Final for Argentina four years earlier, would shadow Sindelar relentlessly for 90 minutes. Despite Monti’s best efforts, Sindelar was unfazed. After the Italian opener, Austria, inspired by Sindelar, launched wave after wave of attacks. Using his brain to overcome the brawn of Monti, Sindelar would drop deeper into midfield, taking Monti with him to create space for the likes of Bican.

Austria would create chance after chance, but Gianpiero Combi proved unbeatable in the Italian goal. Time and time again he produced spectacular point-blank saves to deny the Austrian forwards. Even under pressure from a late barrage of crosses, Combi took command of his area to produce a flawless performance. Italy ran out 1-0 winners. The Wunderteam were out. The dream was over.

The reaction was immediate. Austrian players surrounded referee Ivan Eklind, while Hugo Meisl was left convinced his side had been denied a place in the final. “We lost to Italy, but not to a better team,” he would later remark.

Rumours swirled that Eklind had dined with Mussolini on the eve of the game. Josef Bican would later recount his experience, saying:

“We were warned before the match that the referee, Ivan Eklind, had dined with Mussolini... During the game, I played a long pass out to our winger. As he was running down the line, Eklind actually intercepted the ball and headed it right back into the path of an Italian player."

Of the Italians goal, he said:

“An Italian forward literally bundled our goalkeeper and the ball right over the goalline from three yards out. Eklind just stood there and allowed the goal. We were completely fuming."

A demoralised and depleted Austrian side, without Sindelar, would go on to lose the first ever third placed play off match 3-2 to neighbours Germany. For Josef Bican, then just 21 years old, it would also prove to be his final World Cup appearance. The political upheaval that would soon engulf Central Europe, coupled with his refusal to comply with later totalitarian regimes, ensured he would never get another opportunity.

Death comes in threes

Despite the defeats, the Wunderteam were welcome home as heroes. The future looked bright, and there was no reason to think they couldn’t become world champions if given a fair opportunity.

In 1936, when the Olympics came to Berlin, Meisl, unable to call upon any of the professional stars of the Wunderteam, would lead an Austrian team of amateurs to a silver medal. They would lose the final match 2-1 after extra time to the side seemingly becoming their kryptonite - Italy.

Even that was controversial, as Austria had actually lost the quarter final match against Peru 4-2. Reportedly, the game fell into chaos after an alleged pitch invasion from Peruvian fans, during which at least one Austrian player claimed to be assaulted. Austria appealed to the International Olympics Committee, who ordered the game be replayed. Outraged, the Peruvians went home, and Austria were in the semi final.

As Austria built momentum for the 1938 World Cup, tragedy would strike. A brilliant 2-1 win over France in January 1937 would prove to be Hugo Meisl’s last match in charge of Austria. On February 17th, 1937, while working at his desk inside the offices of the Austrian FA, Meisl died suddenly of a heart attack. He was only 55 years old.

Despite the loss of Meisl, the core of the Wunderteam remained intact. Sindelar was still Austria’s star, Bican was entering his prime and qualification for the 1938 World Cup was secured with ease. Four years after their controversial exit in Italy, many believed Austria would finally get their chance to become world champions.

They never would.

On March 12th, 1938, German troops crossed the Austrian border. The Anschluss - the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany - had begun. Austria no longer existed. It was now merely Ostmark, a province of the Third Reich.

On March 28th, FIFA was informed that Austria, and therefore the Austrian FA, no longer existed. The team would be withdrawn from the upcoming World Cup.

The Nazi regime then arranged a “reconciliation match” between Germany and Austria - or more accurately between “Altreich” (Old Germany) and “Ostmark”. The game was never intended to be a sporting contest. It was a political performance.

The script was simple - the match would end in a draw. The perfect symbol. Neither side superior to the other, merely united as one people.

The Austrians had other ideas.

In an act of quiet defiance, they refused to wear black and white kits resembling those of Germany. Instead, they demanded the right to wear Austria’s colours - red and white - one final time.

Before kick off, both squads were briefed. The Austrians were warned that any disrespect towards their opponents or the occasion, or any attempt to undermine its purpose, would be seen as a direct act of defiance against the regime.

For 70 minutes the game remained scoreless, but that’s not to say the Austrians were compliant. In fact, they had spent much of the game toying with their German opponents, their technical superiority clear for all to see. Matthias Sindelar put on a masterclass of passive aggressive defiance. He dribbled past the German defence with ease time and again, only to hit his shot wide or roll it harmlessly into the keepers arms.

After 70 minutes, he decided he was done playing. He latched onto a rebound and lifted the ball effortlessly over the German keeper to make it 1-0. He’d then run towards the VIP box, packed with high ranking Nazi officials, and perform a celebratory dance in front of them. Some described it as an “excessive” or “extravagant” display of joy, while other accounts say both Sindelar and teammate Karl Sesta performed “real dances of joy” directly in front of the VIP box. Given most goals were celebrated with not much more than a handshake in the 1930s, this represented something highly unusual.

Indeed it was Sesta himself who, ten minutes later, won a free kick and smashed a 40 yard blockbuster past the German keeper to make it 2-0. The 60,000 fans in attendance were supposed to spend the match chanting Nazi slogans, but they spent the entire last ten minutes chanting “Österreich!” (Austria) in a further, emotional act of defiance.

What happened next

Days later, the Austrian national team ceased to exist. The plan was to merge the team with Germany ahead of the 1938 World Cup to create a “Greater Germany” squad. German coach Sepp Herberger was under strict instruction to build a unified squad with a ratio of 6:5 - 6 German players for every 5 Austrian. In the end, 9 Austrians would join the German squad for the World Cup, with three notable exceptions.

The first was Karl Sesta. Considered too nationalistic and too risky for the Nazi regime, he was not to be considered. If he would have joined, had he been asked, is another issue entirely.

Second was Josef Bican. He’d escaped the geopolitical mess entirely - moving to Prague to play for Slavia Prague and changing his international allegiance to Czechoslovakia.

Lastly, was Matthias Sindelar. Despite constant, aggressive pressure to join for the World Cup, he refused. Often citing his age, 35, and his “bad knees” as an excuse, it’s widely believed he would never have turned out for Germany, even if he was ten years younger.

The mixed Austrian-German team would go on to fail miserably at the World Cup - not least due to the locker room animosity, as well as lack of cohesion and chemistry.

Over the following months, Sindelar would live under constant surveillance by the Gestapo and would often be pressured to join the Nazi party - which he would always refuse.

Then, on January 23rd, 1939, Sindelar and his girlfriend, Camilla Castagnola, were found dead in bed in his Vienna home. The Nazi police quickly decided on the cause of death - carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty chimney flue. Theories continue to this day surrounding if their deaths really were a tragic accident, or something more sinister.

The tragic and untimely deaths of both Meisl and Sindelar bore striking parallels to the death of the Wunderteam itself. Taken before they had a chance to complete what they had started.

We will never know if Sindelar, Bican, Sesta and their teammates could have become world champions. We only know that one of football’s greatest sides was denied the opportunity to try.

In March 1938, Austria were among the favourites to win the World Cup.

One month later, Austria no longer existed.

With their goals this week, both Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi have surpassed Just Fontaine on the list of World Cup goal scorers. I wanted to do a write up on who Just Fontaine was, how he became the man who scored 13 goals at 1 World Cup, and how he almost didn’t.

Humble beginnings

Born on August 18th, 1933 in Marrakech, Fontaine didn’t even play amateur football until 1950, when he joined US Marocaine. Aged 17, he scored 23 times in 16 games for them in the Moroccan league. By 1953, his talents had been noticed by then-Nice manager Mario Zatelli. Zatelli knew US Marocaine well, having got his own start as a player there before going on to have a respectable playing career, which included being named in the France squad for the 1938 World Cup.

Nice, France debut & 1954 World Cup

Upon joining Nice for the 1953/54 season, he was an instant hit. Fontaine helped Nice to win the Coupe de France that year, while also scoring 17 times in 24 league games - good enough to put him joint 4th highest scorer that year.

He also made his France debut in December of 1953, helping himself to a hat trick against Luxembourg. Unfortunately for him, though, he didn’t make the France squad for the 1954 World Cup. Despite his impressive performances, France preferred more experienced players, meaning they didn’t want to bring a 20 year old with only a year of professional football under his belt to the World Cup.

France would underperform that World Cup - going out at the group stage - which forced a rethink for the French and led to them giving more opportunities to younger players, such as Fontaine.

In the meantime, Fontaine would continue to flourish for Nice, culminating in a league title in the 1955/56 season. All of this despite having to serve 30 months of mandatory military service, during which he’d commute from Joinville Battalion to the Stade du Ray on match days.

He’d leave Nice for Reims after that, having scored 42 times in 69 league games during his time there.

Reims success & almost not going to the 1958 World Cup

Fontaine joined Reims for the 1956/57 season, where he reached new heights. He scored 64 goals in just 57 league games over the following 2 seasons - as well as 5 goals in 6 Coupe de France games as Reims won a domestic double in 1957/58. Reims also reached the European Cup final that year - losing 2-0 to Real Madrid - and Fontaine was the competitions top scorer with 10.

Despite this, more established forwards such as Thadée Cisowski remained ahead of him in the pecking order for France, while his Reims teammate René Bliard was Albert Batteux’s (coach of both Reims and France) preferred centre forward. This left Fontaine competing with the likes of Stéphane Bruey, Jean Vincent and Yvon Douis for a place in Batteux’s attack. Then fate intervened.

Injuries to Cisowski and Bliard shortly before the tournament reshaped France’s forward line, and handed Fontaine an opportunity he would never relinquish. What followed was arguably the greatest individual performance ever seen at a World Cup.

The 1958 World Cup

The French squad were all told they should bring a pair of spare boots. 21 players did. Fontaine, having arrived in Sweden with just 6 international caps to his name, didn’t bother. He wasn’t expecting to see much playtime ahead of Cisowski and Bliard. The injuries, of course, had changed that, and Batteux had told Fontaine he’d be starting ahead of Bruey and Douis.

Then, fate struck again. During training before France’s opening match, Fontaine’s boots fell apart. “I was devastated. I thought my chance could be gone” Fontaine would later recall. The only player in the squad with the same shoe size was fellow forward Stéphane Bruey, who was competing with Fontaine for a place in Albert Batteux’s attack. Rather than exploiting the situation for himself, Bruey handed over his boots. Fontaine would wear them as he ran riot across Sweden.

France kicked off the group stage with a 7-3 demolition of Paraguay, with Fontaine helping himself to a hat trick. A 3-2 loss to Yugoslavia followed, both France goals coming from Fontaine, before he scored the winner in a 2-1 win against Scotland. With just 3 matches played, Fontaine already had 6 goals under his belt.

Two more goals followed for Fontaine in a 4-0 quarter final win over Northern Ireland, which set up a highly anticipated semi final against Brazil. By now, with 8 goals to his name, the previous record was in his sights. 4 years earlier Sándor Kocsis had scored 11 goals for Hungary’s legendary “Mighty Magyars”. Fontaine knew that another big performance against Brazil could put that record within reach. History beckoned.

Broken dreams and a broken leg

Standing between Fontaine and the record were the eventual champions, spearheaded by Garrincha, Vavá, and a 17 year old sensation called Edson Arantes do Nascimento - better known as Pelé.

Legendary striker Vavá opened the scoring after just 2 minutes. Fontaine hit back for France 7 minutes later. It was his ninth goal of the tournament. Then, disaster for France. Their captain and most influential defender, Robert Jonquet, suffered a broken leg in a challenge with Vavá. With substitutions not yet permitted Jonquet, somehow, tried playing through the pain. At half time, with Brazil now leading 2-1, Jonquet received painkilling injections so he could stand on both legs. Still, he spent the majority of the second half limping around on the left wing.

Effectively reduced to ten men, France had little chance of containing Brazil. Pelé scored a second half hat trick and, with only a late consolation solo goal from Roger Piantoni to show for France, they crashed out 5-2 losers. There’d be no World Cup Final for Les Bleus. Fontaine had scored in every game, yet with ‘only’ 9 goals to his name, Kocsis’ record appeared beyond reach.

Kopa and Fontaine

Before we get to their final match, it’s important to understand the connection between Fontaine and legendary playmaker Raymond Kopa. The pair had been electric together in Sweden, and it‘s no coincidence that, in the same tournament Fontaine would set his goal scoring record, Kopa would set the record for the most assists at a single World Cup, with 8. Both records still stand today.

In fact, their connection goes even deeper. Kopa had moved from Reims to Real Madrid in 1956 and Fontaine was signed as his replacement. Two years later they would line up together for France in Sweden, and immediately struck up one of the most productive partnerships international football had ever seen.

Fontaine would later say “I scored goals because I hit it off with Raymond Kopa, we were happy together and the team was playing attacking football. In six matches, we managed to score 23 times."

The creativity of Kopa and the lethal finishing of Fontaine proved devastating. At the end of 1958, Kopa would become the first Frenchman to receive the Ballon D’or. He would win the European Cup three times in his three seasons in Madrid, before turning down a new contract to return to Reims. Reunited with Fontaine, this time at club level, they would immediately win the league title together in 1960. The two men remained lifelong friends.

One Last Chance

France would have one more match to play at the 1958 World Cup - the third placed playoff. Likely expecting a clash with hosts Sweden, they instead found themselves facing the reigning world champions, West Germany. They had, surprisingly, lost the other semi final 3-1 to Sweden. The defeat was costly. Erich Juskowiak became the first German ever sent off in an international match, while veteran striker Fritz Walter was also injured. Regardless, Fontaine still needed two goals to equal Kocsis’ record. Against the reigning world champions, the odds appeared firmly stacked against him.

Fontaine fired France ahead after 15 minutes, before West Germany levelled 2 minutes later. Then, France won a penalty. Raymond Kopa offered the penalty to Fontaine. Fontaine declined. By modern standards, it seems unthinkable. Yet at the time, his decision was entirely in line with his attitude towards goal scoring. Fontaine would later explain:

“Back then, no one gave much thought to the top scorer's prize.“

Kopa duly converted. Fontaine would have to chase the record the hard way. Nine minutes after declining Kopa’s offer, Fontaine made it 3-1, drawing level with Kocsis’ total of 11 goals.

Douis made it 4-1 in the second half before Rahn hit back for Germany and, for a while, it seemed matching Kocsis might be as good as it got for Fontaine.

He had other ideas.

A superb goal in the 77th minute finally broke the record. Twelve minutes later, he added his fourth goal of the afternoon for good measure.

France won 6-3. Fontaine had scored 13 goals in just 6 matches, and it could have been even more, given that he hit the woodwork twice against Scotland. His record still stands to this day. No other player has even come close to threatening it.

Kocsis was the only player before Fontaine to hit double figures in a single World Cup campaign, Gerd Müller remains the only person to do so since, when he scored 10 in 1970. Even in an era of longer tournaments with more matches, Fontaine’s mark has survived.

Remarkably, Sweden 1958 would prove to be his only World Cup. Injuries forced him into retirement at just 28 years old. He finished his international career with an impressive 30 goals in just 21 caps for France. 21 of those goals had come in 10 competitive international fixtures.

Nearly seven decades later, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi have finally moved past Just Fontaine on the all-time World Cup scoring list. Yet Fontaine still owns a record that may never be broken. One man who doesn’t think it will - or that goals were easier to come by in 1958 - is Fontaine himself. He said “The state of the ball, the length of the trip over and the amateurism of the backroom staff made everything much more complicated than today. I had somebody else's boots as well. And the last great World Cup scorer, Ronaldo, played against teams such as China and Costa Rica. Above all else, referees protect strikers much more than they did in my day. So let me repeat it: 13 goals is an enormous total. Beating my record? I don't think it can ever be done."

He wasn’t supposed to play at the 1958 World Cup. He forgot to bring spare boots. He borrowed a pair from a teammate competing for his place.

Then he scored 13 goals in 6 matches. Football has never seen anything quite like it since. His record has stood for 68 years. Nobody since has even matched the 11 goals Fontaine needed to beat.

Fontaine passed away in 2023, but his legacy forever remains.

Just Fontaine. Just incredible.

With their goals this week, both Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi have surpassed Just Fontaine on the list of World Cup goal scorers. I wanted to do a write up on who Just Fontaine was, how he became the man who scored 13 goals at 1 World Cup, and how he almost didn’t.

Humble beginnings

Born on August 18th, 1933 in Marrakech, Fontaine didn’t even play amateur football until 1950, when he joined US Marocaine. Aged 17, he scored 23 times in 16 games for them in the Moroccan league. By 1953, his talents had been noticed by then-Nice manager Mario Zatelli. Zatelli knew US Marocaine well, having got his own start as a player there before going on to have a respectable playing career, which included being named in the France squad for the 1938 World Cup.

Nice, France debut & 1954 World Cup

Upon joining Nice for the 1953/54 season, he was an instant hit. Fontaine helped Nice to win the Coupe de France that year, while also scoring 17 times in 24 league games - good enough to put him joint 4th highest scorer that year.

He also made his France debut in December of 1953, helping himself to a hat trick against Luxembourg. Unfortunately for him, though, he didn’t make the France squad for the 1954 World Cup. Despite his impressive performances, France preferred more experienced players, meaning they didn’t want to bring a 20 year old with only a year of professional football under his belt to the World Cup.

France would underperform that World Cup - going out at the group stage - which forced a rethink for the French and led to them giving more opportunities to younger players, such as Fontaine.

In the meantime, Fontaine would continue to flourish for Nice, culminating in a league title in the 1955/56 season. All of this despite having to serve 30 months of mandatory military service, during which he’d commute from Joinville Battalion to the Stade du Ray on match days.

He’d leave Nice for Reims after that, having scored 42 times in 69 league games during his time there.

Reims success & almost not going to the 1958 World Cup

Fontaine joined Reims for the 1956/57 season, where he reached new heights. He scored 64 goals in just 57 league games over the following 2 seasons - as well as 5 goals in 6 Coupe de France games as Reims won a domestic double in 1957/58. Reims also reached the European Cup final that year - losing 2-0 to Real Madrid - and Fontaine was the competitions top scorer with 10.

Despite this, more established forwards such as Thadée Cisowski remained ahead of him in the pecking order for France, while his Reims teammate René Bliard was Albert Batteux’s (coach of both Reims and France) preferred centre forward. This left Fontaine competing with the likes of Stéphane Bruey, Jean Vincent and Yvon Douis for a place in Batteux’s attack. Then fate intervened.

Injuries to Cisowski and Bliard shortly before the tournament reshaped France’s forward line, and handed Fontaine an opportunity he would never relinquish. What followed was arguably the greatest individual performance ever seen at a World Cup.

The 1958 World Cup

The French squad were all told they should bring a pair of spare boots. 21 players did. Fontaine, having arrived in Sweden with just 6 international caps to his name, didn’t bother. He wasn’t expecting to see much playtime ahead of Cisowski and Bliard. The injuries, of course, had changed that, and Batteux had told Fontaine he’d be starting ahead of Bruey and Douis.

Then, fate struck again. During training before France’s opening match, Fontaine’s boots fell apart. “I was devastated. I thought my chance could be gone” Fontaine would later recall. The only player in the squad with the same shoe size was fellow forward Stéphane Bruey, who was competing with Fontaine for a place in Albert Batteux’s attack. Rather than exploiting the situation for himself, Bruey handed over his boots. Fontaine would wear them as he ran riot across Sweden.

France kicked off the group stage with a 7-3 demolition of Paraguay, with Fontaine helping himself to a hat trick. A 3-2 loss to Yugoslavia followed, both France goals coming from Fontaine, before he scored the winner in a 2-1 win against Scotland. With just 3 matches played, Fontaine already had 6 goals under his belt.

Two more goals followed for Fontaine in a 4-0 quarter final win over Northern Ireland, which set up a highly anticipated semi final against Brazil. By now, with 8 goals to his name, the previous record was in his sights. 4 years earlier Sándor Kocsis had scored 11 goals for Hungary’s legendary “Mighty Magyars”. Fontaine knew that another big performance against Brazil could put that record within reach. History beckoned.

Broken dreams and a broken leg

Standing between Fontaine and the record were the eventual champions, spearheaded by Garrincha, Vavá, and a 17 year old sensation called Edson Arantes do Nascimento - better known as Pelé.

Legendary striker Vavá opened the scoring after just 2 minutes. Fontaine hit back for France 7 minutes later. It was his ninth goal of the tournament. Then, disaster for France. Their captain and most influential defender, Robert Jonquet, suffered a broken leg in a challenge with Vavá. With substitutions not yet permitted Jonquet, somehow, tried playing through the pain. At half time, with Brazil now leading 2-1, Jonquet received painkilling injections so he could stand on both legs. Still, he spent the majority of the second half limping around on the left wing.

Effectively reduced to ten men, France had little chance of containing Brazil. Pelé scored a second half hat trick and, with only a late consolation solo goal from Roger Piantoni to show for France, they crashed out 5-2 losers. There’d be no World Cup Final for Les Bleus. Fontaine had scored in every game, yet with ‘only’ 9 goals to his name, Kocsis’ record appeared beyond reach.

Kopa and Fontaine

Before we get to their final match, it’s important to understand the connection between Fontaine and legendary playmaker Raymond Kopa. The pair had been electric together in Sweden, and it‘s no coincidence that, in the same tournament Fontaine would set his goal scoring record, Kopa would set the record for the most assists at a single World Cup, with 8. Both records still stand today.

In fact, their connection goes even deeper. Kopa had moved from Reims to Real Madrid in 1956 and Fontaine was signed as his replacement. Two years later they would line up together for France in Sweden, and immediately struck up one of the most productive partnerships international football had ever seen.

Fontaine would later say “I scored goals because I hit it off with Raymond Kopa, we were happy together and the team was playing attacking football. In six matches, we managed to score 23 times."

The creativity of Kopa and the lethal finishing of Fontaine proved devastating. At the end of 1958, Kopa would become the first Frenchman to receive the Ballon D’or. He would win the European Cup three times in his three seasons in Madrid, before turning down a new contract to return to Reims. Reunited with Fontaine, this time at club level, they would immediately win the league title together in 1960. The two men remained lifelong friends.

One Last Chance

France would have one more match to play at the 1958 World Cup - the third placed playoff. Likely expecting a clash with hosts Sweden, they instead found themselves facing the reigning world champions, West Germany. They had, surprisingly, lost the other semi final 3-1 to Sweden. The defeat was costly. Erich Juskowiak became the first German ever sent off in an international match, while veteran striker Fritz Walter was also injured. Regardless, Fontaine still needed two goals to equal Kocsis’ record. Against the reigning world champions, the odds appeared firmly stacked against him.

Fontaine fired France ahead after 15 minutes, before West Germany levelled 2 minutes later. Then, France won a penalty. Raymond Kopa offered the penalty to Fontaine. Fontaine declined. By modern standards, it seems unthinkable. Yet at the time, his decision was entirely in line with his attitude towards goal scoring. Fontaine would later explain:

“Back then, no one gave much thought to the top scorer's prize.“

Kopa duly converted. Fontaine would have to chase the record the hard way. Nine minutes after declining Kopa’s offer, Fontaine made it 3-1, drawing level with Kocsis’ total of 11 goals.

Douis made it 4-1 in the second half before Rahn hit back for Germany and, for a while, it seemed matching Kocsis might be as good as it got for Fontaine.

He had other ideas.

A superb goal in the 77th minute finally broke the record. Twelve minutes later, he added his fourth goal of the afternoon for good measure.

Immortality

France won 6-3. Fontaine had scored 13 goals in just 6 matches, and it could have been even more, given that he hit the woodwork twice against Scotland. His record still stands to this day. No other player has even come close to threatening it.

Kocsis was the only player before Fontaine to hit double figures in a single World Cup campaign, Gerd Müller remains the only person to do so since, when he scored 10 in 1970. Even in an era of longer tournaments with more matches, Fontaine’s mark has survived.

Remarkably, Sweden 1958 would prove to be his only World Cup. Injuries forced him into retirement at just 28 years old. He finished his international career with an impressive 30 goals in just 21 caps for France. 21 of those goals had come in 10 competitive international fixtures.

Nearly seven decades later, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi have finally moved past Just Fontaine on the all-time World Cup scoring list. Yet Fontaine still owns a record that may never be broken. One man who doesn’t think it will - or that goals were easier to come by in 1958 - is Fontaine himself. He said “The state of the ball, the length of the trip over and the amateurism of the backroom staff made everything much more complicated than today. I had somebody else's boots as well. And the last great World Cup scorer, Ronaldo, played against teams such as China and Costa Rica. Above all else, referees protect strikers much more than they did in my day. So let me repeat it: 13 goals is an enormous total. Beating my record? I don't think it can ever be done."

He wasn’t supposed to play at the 1958 World Cup. He forgot to bring spare boots. He borrowed a pair from a teammate competing for his place.

Then he scored 13 goals in 6 matches. Football has never seen anything quite like it since. His record has stood for 68 years. Nobody since has even matched the 11 goals Fontaine needed to beat.

Fontaine passed away in 2023, but his legacy forever remains.

Just Fontaine. Just incredible.

So I’ve been getting into the hip hop lore and I’m confused as hell.

How is Lil Nas X Nas’ son when Nas was always rapping about street shit, New York, being a king etc. and Lil Nas X is making songs dressed like Satan and twerking on the devil??? 🤔

Like did Nas just wake up and say “I’m gonna raise my son to be the exact opposite of me” 😭

Also if Nas is called Nas and Lil Nas X is called Lil Nas, does that mean there’s a Medium Nas somewhere? Not trying to be disrespectful, just trying to understand the family tree. Is Lil Wayne Big Wayne’s son? Is Young Thug related to Old Thug?

Hip hop fans please explain. I’ve been researching for 7 minutes now and nothing makes sense. 🙏🏻💯🔥

Edit - Just found out Dr. Dre isn’t even actually a doctor. This genre is cooked.