Just Fontaine
Most goals at a single men's World Cup (Sweden 1958)
French striker Just Fontaine scored 13 goals in six matches at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, and France finished third. Nobody has come near it since.
Fontaine scored his 13 goals in just six matches at the 1958 tournament, an average of more than two per game. He had not even been the first-choice striker when the squad left for Sweden, but an injury to a teammate gave him his place. He scored in every match France played, including four against West Germany in the third-place match, which France won 6 to 3.
The goals came with a mix of finishes, and he scored for France despite playing in borrowed boots, according to a widely told story. France lost in the semi-final to a Brazil team featuring a 17-year-old Pele. Fontaine's total remains the most in one tournament, and the next best is Miroslav Klose's 16 across four World Cups, which is a career figure.
Records of this kind are kept by FIFA, which counts only goals scored in regulation or extra time and not in penalty shootouts. The tournament format has also grown since 1958, with more matches per team, yet no player has matched 13 goals in a single edition. A knee injury shortened his career, and he retired at 28.