Top five players with most hat-tricks in football history

Scoring hat-tricks is tough for others but these players have made it look dangerously easy.

Any footballer that plays the game dreams of scoring a goal. There is no better feeling than putting the ball in the back of the net. However, scoring three, and hence a hat-trick is one of the biggest joys for an individual. Taking the match ball home after scoring three goals is a major achievement. It is a tough ask and by no means does it become easier at any level. Having said that, some players do make it look easy.

The players that are the focus of this article scored hat-tricks for fun. Their quality in front of goal was unmatched. Over the years, there have been several incredible players who were fabulous goalscorers. These individuals broke and set several records, including scoring the most number of hattricks.

Taking look at the past and present, here are the top five players with the most hat-tricks in football history:

5. Luis Suarez - 29

Luis Suarez has scored 29 hat-tricks in his career. The Uruguayan is one of the most lethal finishers in football. As a striker, he has all the qualities that a top-level player needs such as great movement, emphatic finishing, aerial prowess and more.

After taking the Premier League by storm while playing for Liverpool FC, Suarez moved to FC Barcelona. There, he forged an unstoppable trio with Lionel Messi and Neymar that terrorised every opposition. Today, he is playing for Atletico Madrid in La Liga and has scored 13 goals from 40 appearances in all competitions.

4. Robert Lewandowski - 30

Robert Lewandowski is one of the best forwards of the modern era. The Polish international scores goals as a habit. The winner of the 2020 and 2021 FIFA Best Men’s Player awards has scored 30 hat-tricks in his career.

While playing for FC Bayern Munich, the striker also broke a 49-year-old goalscoring record held by Gerd Muller. Lewandowski scored 43 league goals in a single calendar year, beating the previous best of 42 by the German legendary striker.

3. Lionel Messi - 56

Lionel Messi is arguably the best footballer ever. He is a true footballing genius who has a gift like no other. The exceptional Argentine has scored 56 career hat-tricks for club and country. Messi scored 56th hattrick in Argentina 5-0 win over Estonia in an international friendly in which he scored all five goals . All of the hat-tricks in club football for Messi have come while playing for FC Barcelona.

Since moving to Paris Saint-Germain in an iconic transfer, Messi has struggled to find the back of the net. He will certainly look to regain his goalscoring touch and rack up a few more hattricks, in order to challenge his eternal rival and friend, Cristiano Ronaldo.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo - 60

Cristiano Ronaldo is also regarded as one of the best football players of all time. The Portuguese international holds the record for most goals in football history. He also holds countless other records to his name and added yet another milestone recently while playing for Manchester United against Norwich City in the Premier League.

The forward scored his 60th career hat-trick against Norwich City and consolidated his position as the leader in terms of active players with most hattricks. Interestingly, Ronaldo scored 30 hat-tricks before turning 30 and the other 30 hat-tricks after turning 30. 

1. Pele - 92

Diving deep into football history, where the stats are a bit hazy with multiple sources claiming a different view, we have Pele with the most hat-tricks. However, the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledges Pele as the player with 92 hat-tricks in football.

Before the era of Ronaldo and Messi debates, there was Maradona and Pele’s rivalry. The Brazilian is regarded as the best finisher the sport of football has ever seen. He also won the FIFA World Cup three times among other accolades.

Information last updated on 5th June 2022.

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