Scoring a hat-trick in association football is considered an impressive achievement, even after many years and advances in the sport;[3] however, it is still fairly common.[4][5] This is a list of records and other feats in football hat-trick scoring, including exceptional numbers of hat-tricks; exceptional feats in scoring a hat-trick; and achievements relating to the hat-trick scorers themselves.
The great majority of the scorers of a hat-trick[6] have played for the winning side, but there have also been a few occasions when the player's team have drawn or lost the game.[7] The list features all association footballers, including at all levels of competition when playing in official matches.
According to RSSSF Erwin Helmchen scored at least 141 hat-tricks only in official matches, including 8 goals on 2 occasions, 7 goals on three, 6 goals ten times and 5 goals 15 times.[8]
Morgan scored her eleventh international hat-trick with five goals on 11 June 2019 in the United States' 13–0 victory over Thailand in the 2019 World Cup.[16] She scored her record-breaking twelfth international hat-trick in 2021.[17]
Sinclair scored her eleventh international hat-trick by scoring all three of Canada's goals in their 3–4 loss to the United States at the Olympics on 6 August 2012.[18]
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first male player to score 10 hat-tricks for a national team on 12 October 2021 in Portugal's 5–0 win against Luxembourg, breaking Sven Rydell's record.[20]
Sven Rydell became the first player to score 9 international hat-tricks on 16 May 1932 in Sweden's 7–1 victory over Finland, breaking Poul Nielsen's record. His men's record lasted for 89 years.[21]
Poul Nielsen became the first player to score 8 international hat-tricks on 2 October 1921 in Denmark's 3–1 victory over Norway. His record lasted for 11 years.[22]
Pelé has the record for the most hat-tricks scored by a Brazilian player, with seven. One of those hat-tricks was scored in the 1958 World Cup semi-final against France.[26]
Josef Bican set the record after scoring 5 consecutive hat-tricks and 19 goals in total in the Bohemia and Moravia (Czechoslovak) First League between 17 November 1939 and 19 March 1940.[30]
Stjepan Lucijanić
2016
5
M
7
Stjepan Lucijanic scored his fifth consecutive hat-trick in the NK Dračice Dakovo's 10–0 win over NK Zrinski Drenje in the Croatian seventh division on 6 November 2016, equalizing Josef Bican's record from 1940. Lucijanic had scored 20 goals in those 5 matches.[31][32]
Domingo Tarasconi scored 4 goals against USA on 29 May 1928 in the first round, 4 goals against Norway on 2 June in quarterfinals and 3 against Egypt in the semifinal of the 1928 Olympics.
Vilhelm Wolfhagen scored 4 goals against France B on 19 October 1908 in the first round and 4 goals against France on 22 October in the semi-finals of the 1908 Olympics.
Antonin Janda scored 3 goals against Yugoslavia on 28 August 1920 in the first round and 3 goals against Norway on 29 August in the quarterfinals of the 1920 Olympics.
Ferenc Bene scored Hungary's all 6 goals against Morocco on 11 October 1964 in the group stage and 4 goals against Norway on 20 October in the semifinals of the 1964 Olympics.
Age records
Note: For a senior team; when referring to clubs, not including subsidiary teams in senior leagues
Youngest players to score a hat-trick for a club team
Ntinos Pontikas on his debut on 28 September 1996, scored his team's all 3 away goals in the fifth tier of the Greek championship breaking Paulino Alcántara's record set in 1912 and becoming the youngest hat-trick scorer ever.[40]
Paulino Alcántara scored three goals on his senior team debut for Barcelona in their 9–0 victory over Català in the Catalan championship on 25 February 1912.[41][42] Alcántara netted many other hat-tricks for Barcelona before turning 17, mostly in friendlies throughout the 1912–13 season, but notably in a 11–1 victory over Català in the Copa de España on 15 June 1913, at the age of 16 years and 248 days.[43]
Wilding scored three goals for Camberley Town Ladies in the Russell Cup on 30 March 2003 and became the youngest hat-trick scorer in women's football.[44]
Pelé scored his first hat-trick of his senior career in a friendly against Fabril de Lavras on 9 June 1957 and became the youngest player in South America to achieve that feat as well as the youngest professional player to score a hat-trick.[47][48]
Francis scored all of Birmingham City's four goals in their 4–0 win over Bolton Wanderers in England's second tier on 20 February 1971, and became the youngest player in English football to achieve that feat.[47]
Siri scored a hat-trick on his senior debut against Boston River in the Uruguayan first division on 19 March 2021 and became the youngest player in history to achieve that feat in the top flight.[47]
Youngest players to score a hat-trick for a national team
On 27 April 2009, Alina Litvinenko scored a hat-trick in her debut match, in a 4–1 win against Palestine for Kyrgyzstan in the 2010 Asian Cup's qualification at 13 years and 131 days. She became both the youngest hat-trick scorer and the youngest player to feature in a international match.[49][50]
Horváth scored an international hat-trick for Hungary in a friendly against Bohemia on 7 April 1907 and became the youngest player in international football to achieve that feat.[51]
Bugeja scored all of Malta's four goals in their 4–0 win over Georgia in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying Group B, and became the youngest player ever to score a hat-trick at a European qualifier.[52]
Fleeting scored four goals to help her side to a 7–1 victory over Estonia in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification on 3 September, and became the youngest player to score a hat-trick at a World qualifier.[52] In the very next match four days later, Fleeting scored another hat-trick, this time in a 5–0 win over Lithuania.
Lee is the youngest male player to score a hat-trick for a national team in a competitive match, when he did so on 24 May 1923 in the last match of the 1923 Far Eastern Games at Yahataya Park in Osaka.[54]
Striker Molina scored his first La Liga hat-trick on 19 December 2021, shortly before his 40th birthday.[62] He holds the Guinness record for the oldest player to score a hat-trick in La Liga.[63]
On 2 May 2021, Palacio scored his first hat-trick in Serie A, including an 84th-minute equalizer to salvage a 3–3 draw with Fiorentina, thus becoming the oldest player to achieve this feat in Serie A, breaking the previous record held by Silvio Piola since 1950.[62][64]
On 15 March 1964, Di Stéfano also scored a then-record 22nd La Liga hat-trick against Real Murcia, thus becoming the oldest player to achieve that feat not only in La Liga, but also in Europe's top five leagues, a record that he held for 45 years until it was broken by Joaquín in 2019.[65]
On 23 February 2017, Escobar scored a second-half hat-trick against Unión Española in the second leg of the final stage of the 2017 Copa Libertadores qualifying stages, thus becoming the oldest hat-trick scorer in the competition's history.[68]
On 22 September 1965, Puskás notched his last UEFA goals against Feyenoord, during the second leg of the preliminary round, thus becoming the oldest hat-trick scorer in the competition's history.[69]
Fastest as the shortest span between the first and third goal.
Player
Year
Score
Duration
Gender
Division
Details
Alex Torr
2013
Rawson Springs 7–1 Winn Gardens
70 seconds
M
19
Alex Torr completed a hat-trick in 70 seconds for pub team Rawson Springs in a match in the Meadowhall Sheffield & District U23 amateur English Sunday league in 2013.[76][77][78]
Tommy Ross scored a hat-trick in 90 seconds for Ross County against Nairn in the Scottish fifth division, on 28 November 1964 and held the world record for 31 years.[80]
On 24 February 2004, he came on as an 84th-minute substitute while Bournemouth were 3–0 up at home to Wrexham and scored the fastest Football League hat-trick ever in 2 minutes and 21.88 seconds.[83]
Solórzano scored four goals, including a hat-trick in 177 seconds. It was reported as the second-fastest hat-trick in women's football after Kosovare Asllani (the report did not mention Sonia Bermúdez, who scored a hat-trick in ~3 minutes, instead skipping to Alexia as the third-fastest).[87]
Tottenham Hotspur's player Willie Hall scored 3 goals in three and a half minutes during England's friendly match against Northern Ireland on 16 November 1938, breaking Lee Wai Tong's record and that feat remains a world record on international level.[99]
Barcelona Atlètic scored five goals in 17 minutes for a comeback victory over Ibiza, including three in just over 4 minutes from Unai Hernández.[101][102]
Swiss female player Fabienne Humm scored the fastest hat-trick in Women's World Cup history, scoring three goals in five minutes on 12 May 2015 during the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[109]
Players who scored the longest hat-tricks
Longest as the longest span between the first and third goal.
In the league fixture on 2 July 2023, Adi Said scored his first goal on 40 minutes and his second at the stroke of half time. The match was suspended at 52' due to heavy rain, and the Football Association of Brunei Darussalam rescheduled the game to resume on 2 August. Adi converted a penalty 13 minutes after the match resumed, completing his hat-trick, almost a full month after starting it.[110][111][112]
On 24 September 2023 Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez scored two goals in De Klassieker against Ajax, which was abandoned due to the host's fans trashing their own stadium. The Match was resumed with the same scoreline and minutes played on 27 September 2023. Santiago Gimenez went on to add another goal. There were 4286 minutes between his first and third goal.[113]
Kwame Ayew scored a hat-trick on 2 August 1992 in the 1992 Olympic quarter-finals, the first in the 17th minute and the third in the 120+1st; there were 104 minutes of gameplay between his first and third goals.[114]
Snelus scored a hat-trick in Luton Town under-18s' 4–3 FA Youth Cup victory. His first goal was in the 9th minute, with both of the others in extra time, the third in the 113th; there were 104 minutes of gameplay between the first and third goals. It was not the only hat-trick in the game: all three of losing team Dagenham & Redbridge under-18s' goals were scored by Dylan Florence.[115]
Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick on 30 July 1966 in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, the first in the 18th minute and the third in the 120th; there were 102 minutes of gameplay between his first and third goals.[116]
Fernando Hierro scored four hat-tricks in his career. The first and the second was against Espanyol on 30 November 1991 and 18 April 1992 respectively in the 1991–92 La Liga with total seven goals, the third on 21 October 1992 in the second round of 1992–93 UEFA Cup and the fourth on 24 March 2002 in the 2001–02 La Liga.[120]
Den Haag's sweeper and captain scored two hat-tricks, the first was on 24 October 1976 in 1976–77 Eredivisie, the second in the first half against West Ham in the quarter-finals of the 1975–76 European Cup Winners' Cup on 3 March 1976.
Sheila Sanchón scored a hat-trick for Barcelona Femení in a league match, of the second division, on 27 January 2008. Youth striker Laura Carriba also scored a hat-trick in the match.[125] In their next match, Sanchón scored a brace, and in the match following that, on 10 February 2008, she again scored a hat-trick in the team's 4–1 victory over UE L'Estartit's B team.[126]
Bernard Dietz, a prolific defender who even captained West Germany during his career scored 4 goals against Bayern in the 1977–78 Bundesliga on 5 November 1977.
Alpay Özalan scored his only ever goals for Turkey equalizing the match against North Macedonia in the Group 4 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification on 6 June 2001.
Layvin Kurzawa scored a hat-trick as a left-back in the 5–0 win against Anderlecht on 31 October 2017. He is the only defender to score a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League.[73]
Amber Tysiak scored three goals, two of which through headers of corner kicks, during Belgium women's national football team 19–0 record win against Armenia as part of its 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification campaign.[135]
Kevin Holt, while playing as a central defender, scored a long-range strike from open play, from a corner kick and from a penalty kick in the span of 27 minutes against Partick Thistle on 21 October 2023.[136]
Free-kick specialist Marcos Assunção scored an away hat-trick of free-kicks for Santos against 2nd division Bahia on 1 March 1998 in the first leg of the second round of the 1998 Copa do Brasil.[139]
Free-kick specialist and centre-back Sinisa Mihajlovic scored a hat-trick of free-kicks on 13 December 1998 against his former club at Stadio Olimpico in the 1998–99 Serie A[137]
Forward Alexis Nikoulis converted 3 free-kicks for Oikonomos Tsaritsani against Apollon Larissa in the Greek 2010-11 fourth division on 10 October 2010, scoring on 30', 78' and 81'. Nikoulis had started his career as goalkeeper for Ampelokipoi.[141]
33-year old winger Jackson scored Nação's all 3 goals by free-kick to help them come from 2–0 behind and win the match, in the 2nd division of the Catarinense championship on 11 August 2021.[143]
25-year old left winger Heinz scored 3 free-kick goals for Alemannia Aachen in the fourth division (Regionalliga West) match against Wuppertaler SV on 2 December 2023.[144]
New Zealand defender Meikayla Moore scored a perfect hat-trick of own goals before being taken off in the 40th minute of their 0–5 loss to the United States in the 2022 SheBelieves Cup. The first two were considered unlucky, particularly the second, for which her involvement was not by any action of her own.[145][146]
Trivia
Players who scored hat-tricks against different goalkeepers in a single match
On 21 April 1986 West Ham's Alvin Martin scored his first goal against Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Thomas, who would end up being replaced by Chris Hedworth due to injury. Martin would then score against Hedworth, who would also be replace by Peter Beardsley near the end of the match, but with still time to play he would score his final goal against Beardsley.[147]
Players to score a hat-trick in a continental club final
Sergio Ricardo scored all Hilal's 3 goals, including the winner in the extra time in the final of the 1999–2000 Asian Club Championship on 22 April 2000.
Thiago Neves is the only player to score a hat-trick in a Copa Libertadores Final final after hitting the net 3 times in the 2nd final of the 2008 Copa Libertadores Finals on 2 July 2008.[150]
^For example, Danny Butterfield is not included for scoring a hat-trick for Crystal Palace on 2 February 2010 against Wolves despite being a defender because he was fielded as a striker in the match.
^"Who Has Scored the Most Premier League Hat-Tricks?". The Analyst. 4 May 2024. The symbolism and importance of scoring a hat-trick remains undimmed in football, the ceremonial handing over of the match ball to the player...
^"Sam Johnston". nifootball.blogspot.com. Northern Ireland Footballing Greats. 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
^Marcet, Jaume (11 February 2008). "16 gols als benjamins i femení". FC Barcelona Arxiu (in Catalan). Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2024.