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(CNN) --
French soccer legend Just Fontaine — who still holds the record for the most goals scored by a player in a single World Cup — has died at the age of 89, the French Football Federation (FFF) has announced.
The former striker scored 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, which puts him fourth along with Lionel Messi on the list of all-time World Cup goalscorers.
All 13 goals were made in just six games in the same tournament, as France finished in third place.
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It is considered one of the best records in international soccer, since, 65 years later, no other player came close to matching it.
Just Fontaine
"The death of Just Fontaine plunges French football into deep emotion and immense sadness," interim FFF president Philippe Diallo said in a statement.
"Just Fontaine left his mark on football inside and outside France."
"He was an emblematic figure, with an incredible record of 13 goals in the 1958 World Cup. He wrote one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the French team," he added.
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Fontaine won the French league with Reims three times and once with Nice, as well as winning two Coupe de France titles during his illustrious career.
His exploits at the 1958 World Cup earned him third place in that year's Ballon d'Or.
Just Fontaine poses with a trophy for the top scorer award at the 1958 Soccer World Cup.
Fontaine was also part of the Reims team that reached the final of the European Cup in 1959, where they eventually lost to the great Real Madrid of the time.
“A French soccer star, an unrivaled goalscorer, a Reims legend,” wrote his former club Stade de Reims.
"SDR sends its sincere condolences to his family and friends."
Current French national team coach Didier Deschamps said: “Just Fontaine's death saddens me as it will sadden everyone who loves football and our national team.
Just is and will remain a legend of the French team."
Fontaine is in fourth place among the top scorers in the World Cup, despite having only participated in one edition.
Fontaine was born in Morocco and played for Moroccan club Casablanca before moving to France, where he would spend three seasons with Nice and then six with Reims.
He was eventually forced into early retirement, at the age of 28, due to injury.
He then began coaching the French and Moroccan national teams and Paris Saint-Germain, leading the club to promotion to the French first division in 1974.
He ended his international career with 30 goals in just 21 games and in 2004, Pelé named Fontaine to his list of the 125 Greatest Living Soccer Players.
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