Scoring goals can be called perhaps the most important moment in a football game. While one may put the old saying of ‘attack wins you games but defence wins you title’ one can only win a game when the ball is put in the back of the net. However, the ultimate joy for any player is to score a hattrick.
The joy is tripled when one player repeats this feat three times in just a single game. Scoring a hat-trick in a football match is not what every player is capable of. Only players, with those killer instincts, have been able to achieve this feat. And to do so repeatedly over the course of a player’s career is even more impressive. FootTheBall takes a look at the players that have the most hat-tricks in their football career.
1. Pele – 92 hat-tricks
Pele has 92 hattricks in his stellar career so far and that is acknowledged by none other than the Guinness Book of World Records. Most of the records of the 20th century are still not that very clear, but when it comes to this particular record, it couldn’t get any clearer.
The Brazilian legend is still the only player to win the World Cup thrice during his career, where he won it in 1958,1962 and 1970. While many might argue the records were hard to keep a track on in the past, this one clearly stands out in the record books.
- He was touted once as the next Pele: Freddy Adu – From wonderkid to a wanderer
That gap 🥵#Haaland #MCFC pic.twitter.com/fAlFQJbvmn
— FootTheBall FC (@FootTheBallFC) October 3, 2022
2. Cristiano Ronaldo – 62 hat-tricks
The man himself. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the very few athletes in the world who might never need an introduction. While he has been on the decline since his exit from Juventus, the 60 hat-tricks he has amassed is no easy feat.
When Sir Alex Ferguson bought him in the 2002-03 season, he was already touted as the worlds best and fast forward to the present day, he hasn’t disappointed. In 2008 he helped United win the Champions League title and by that time he had already won 3 consecutive Premier League titles as well. This helped him land his first Ballon d’Or which earned him a move to Real Madrid in 2009.
He won a second Ballon d’Or after scoring 69 goals in 2013 – his most in a calendar year. Since then he has moved to Juventus in 2018 after winning 3 consecutive Champions League with Real Madrid and returned back to Old Trafford. He is now plying his trade at Al-Hilal after a fallout with Man Utd.
3. Lionel Messi – 57 hat-tricks
Another household name in football. Lionel Messi is an Argentinian footballer who finally got his hands on the World Cup in 2022 and shrugged off any claims that he might not be the best of all time.
With seven Ballon d’Ors already to his name – a record in itself – Messi had been long claimed as the successor to another Argentina legend Diego Maradona. He left Barcelona in 2021 after scoring 672 goals for them and joined PSG. Now after two years, Messi is said to be unsettled and will most likely leave at the end of the season.
4. Robert Lewandowski – 30 hat-tricks
Like a fine wine, Robert Lewandowski gets better with age. The Polish international played for Bayern Munich for eight seasons having won multiple trophies before earning a transfer to FC Barcelona. He is one of the most prolific goalscorers in the world, having scored over 500 goals for club and country.
Considered as one of the greatest players of all time and a Bundesliga great because of his prolific form in front of goal having netted 344 goals in 375 matches for Bayern. The Poland international has won numerous honours including the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and ten Bundesliga titles.
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5. Luis Suarez – 30 hat-tricks
Luis Suarez like Robert Lewandowski has been one of the best strikers in the 21st century. The Uruguayan international had formerly played for Liverpool, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, having scored more than 500 goals in his career so far. He has since returned to his boyhood club in Uruguay.
He came into prominence after his infamous incident with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini and was banned from any football action for six months. Despite all of the negativity surrounding him, he is still regarded as the best forward of his generation and winner of the ‘Golden Boot’ award twice.