Fontaine - who was born in Morocco but represented France
internationally - is best known for scoring the most goals in a single World
Cup after he netted 13 times in just six matches in the 1958 tournament in
Sweden.
After making his name with USM Casablanca, he went on to
enjoy prolific spells with Nice - where he scored 42 goals in 69 appearances
for the club - and Reims, netting 122 times in 131 games.
Most impressively, Fontaine also scored 30 times in just 21
games for Les Bleus.
Unfortunately his career was cut short by injuries, with
Fontaine ending his playing career at the age of 28.
However, this didn't stop the French legend leaving his mark
on the game as he enjoyed managerial stints in charge of France, Luchon, PSG,
Toulouse and Morocco.
Back in 2004, he was named by another former great Pele as
one of the 125 greatest living footballers, while he was also selected as
France's best player of the last 50 years by the French Football Federation in
2003 at the UEFA Jubilee Awards.
Following his passing, France manager Didier Deschamps paid
tribute to the Les Bleus legend.
He said: 'The passing of Just Fontaine saddens me, as it
will all of those that love football and our national team. Justo is, and will
always be, a legend of the French team.'
Deschamps added: 'Player then manager, I had the chance to
meet him on numerous occasions, notably at Toulouse in September 2017.
'Justo is a very kind man, very respectful of the French
generations that succeeded his own His attachment to the team was strong and
severe.'
Fontaine had a superb international pedigree and after
scoring a hat-trick on his debut, he went on to net 30 times in just 21 games.
His exploits at the 1958 World Cup - where France eventually
lost in the semi-finals to Brazil - sees Fontaine in fourth place in the list
of all-time goalscorers at the World Cup.
Behind Miroslav Klose, the Brazilian Ronaldo and Gerd
Muller, Fontaine is level with Lionel Messi, despite the Argentine playing 20
more matches at the world's showpiece event.
At the 2014 World Cup, he was awarded a Golden Boot for his
record at the 1958 World Cup.
Upon receiving the award on stage from Ronaldo and the
disgraced former UEFA president Michel Platini, Fontaine said: ' I am very
proud to receive this shoe, unique, it's good because I too am unique, and the
guys next to me who give me the price, are unique.'
At that tournament, France beat defending champions West
Germany 6-3 in the third place play-off, with Fontaine netting four times in an
all-time World Cup classic.
The final goalscorer standings in that tournament saw him
score seven times more than second placed Pele.
Ironically, Fontaine almost missed out on the tournament,
but injuries to Thadee Cisowski and Rene Bliard saw him make the squad and then
the starting line-up.
'It was only at the airport before leaving for Sweden that
Paul Nicolas (part of the national team staff) and Albert Batteux (the France
coach), who didn't really want me, told me I would be playing as
centre-forward,' Fontaine told AFP in 2013.
In his subsequent managerial career, the high watermark saw
Fontaine guide Morocco to third place in the 1980 African Cup of Nations.
His legacy wasn't limited to the on-pitch success and in
1961, along with Eugene N'Jo Lea - he founded the National Union of
Professional Football Players in France - the French equivalent to the
Professional Footballers' Association.