"I think I'll take my record of 13 goals to the grave"
About this Quote
Fontaine’s line is a flex disguised as a shrug, the kind of brash humility only sports can produce. “I think I’ll take” softens what is, in effect, a dare to history: come and get it. The phrase carries the intimacy of a private choice, but the content is public ownership. Records are supposed to be temporary; he treats his as personal property, something that will outlast not just opponents but the entire sport’s appetite for progress.
The context does the heavy lifting. Fontaine’s 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup isn’t just a statistic; it’s a fossil from an era with fewer matches, different defenses, different pitches, and a tournament structure that makes modern comparisons feel like arguing over different species. That’s why the quote works: it isn’t naive about change, it’s banking on it. The game has evolved in ways that arguably make that particular summit harder to climb in the same timeframe, and Fontaine knows it.
The subtext is also about mortality and legacy, the athlete’s oldest negotiation. Careers end fast; numbers don’t. By invoking the grave, he’s turning a fleeting burst of form into something funereal and permanent, a headstone with a scoreboard etched into it. It’s witty, yes, but it’s also defensive: a reminder that his name stays in the conversation even when the highlight reels move on to shinier stars.
The context does the heavy lifting. Fontaine’s 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup isn’t just a statistic; it’s a fossil from an era with fewer matches, different defenses, different pitches, and a tournament structure that makes modern comparisons feel like arguing over different species. That’s why the quote works: it isn’t naive about change, it’s banking on it. The game has evolved in ways that arguably make that particular summit harder to climb in the same timeframe, and Fontaine knows it.
The subtext is also about mortality and legacy, the athlete’s oldest negotiation. Careers end fast; numbers don’t. By invoking the grave, he’s turning a fleeting burst of form into something funereal and permanent, a headstone with a scoreboard etched into it. It’s witty, yes, but it’s also defensive: a reminder that his name stays in the conversation even when the highlight reels move on to shinier stars.
Quote Details
| Topic | Sports |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Fontaine, Just. (2026, January 16). I think I'll take my record of 13 goals to the grave. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-ill-take-my-record-of-13-goals-to-the-135395/
Chicago Style
Fontaine, Just. "I think I'll take my record of 13 goals to the grave." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-ill-take-my-record-of-13-goals-to-the-135395/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I think I'll take my record of 13 goals to the grave." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-ill-take-my-record-of-13-goals-to-the-135395/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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