Scoring a hat-trick in association football is considered an impressive achievement, even after many years and advances in the sport; however, it is still fairly common. 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 have played for the winning side, but there have also been occasions when the hat-trick scorer's team drew or lost the match. The list features all association footballers, at all levels of competition, when playing in official matches.
Tables
· Records
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
Division
Division
Key
Division
Key
The level of competition of the relevant match(es)
Ranked list
Key
Hat-trick scorer's team is noted in bold
Division
The level of competition of the relevant match(es)
· Records › Most hat-tricks › Most hat-tricks in history
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
Erwin Helmchen
Erwin Helmchen
Player
Erwin Helmchen
Years
1924–1951
Number
142+
Gender
M
Details
According to RSSSF, Erwin Helmchen scored at least 142 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.
Josef Bican
Josef Bican
Player
Josef Bican
Years
1930–1957
Number
137
Gender
M
Details
According to RSSSF, Josef Bican scored 137 hat-tricks only in official matches for club and country.
Ferenc Deák
Ferenc Deák
Player
Ferenc Deák
Years
1939–1959
Number
97+
Gender
M
Details
According to RSSSF, Ferenc Deak scored at least 97 hat-tricks only in official matches for club and country.
Ernst Wilimowski
Ernst Wilimowski
Player
Ernst Wilimowski
Years
1932–1957
Number
96+
Gender
M
Details
According to RSSSF, Ernst Wilimowski scored at least 96 hat-tricks only in official matches for club and country.
Pelé
Pelé
Player
Pelé
Years
1956–1977
Number
92
Gender
M
Details
As of 2023, Guinness World Records recognised Pelé as the footballer with the most hat-tricks.
Jimmy Jones
Jimmy Jones
Player
Jimmy Jones
Years
1943–1965
Number
91
Gender
M
Ranked list
Player
Years
Number
Gender
Details
Erwin Helmchen
1924–1951
142+
M
According to RSSSF, Erwin Helmchen scored at least 142 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.
Josef Bican
1930–1957
137
M
According to RSSSF, Josef Bican scored 137 hat-tricks only in official matches for club and country.
Ferenc Deák
1939–1959
97+
M
According to RSSSF, Ferenc Deak scored at least 97 hat-tricks only in official matches for club and country.
Ernst Wilimowski
1932–1957
96+
M
According to RSSSF, Ernst Wilimowski scored at least 96 hat-tricks only in official matches for club and country.
Pelé
1956–1977
92
M
As of 2023, Guinness World Records recognised Pelé as the footballer with the most hat-tricks.
Jimmy Jones
1943–1965
91
M
· Records › Most hat-tricks › Active players with most hat-tricks
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Player
Cristiano Ronaldo
Years
2008–2024
Number
66
Gender
M
Details
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the active player with most hat-tricks.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Player
Lionel Messi
Years
2007–2026
Number
60
Gender
M
Details
Lionel Messi has scored 60 hat-tricks in his career for Barcelona, Inter Miami and Argentina.
Ranked list
Player
Years
Number
Gender
Details
Cristiano Ronaldo
2008–2024
66
M
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the active player with most hat-tricks.
Lionel Messi
2007–2026
60
M
Lionel Messi has scored 60 hat-tricks in his career for Barcelona, Inter Miami and Argentina.
· Records › Most hat-tricks › Most hat-tricks for a national team
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
Alex Morgan
Alex Morgan
Player
Alex Morgan
Years
2012–2021
Number
12
Gender
F
Details
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. She scored her record-breaking twelfth international hat-trick in 2021.
Christine Sinclair
Christine Sinclair
Player
Christine Sinclair
Years
2000–2012
Number
11
Gender
F
Details
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.
Vivian Woodward
Vivian Woodward
Player
Vivian Woodward
Years
1903–1914
Number
10
Gender
M
Details
He scored 4 hat-tricks for England and 6 hat-tricks for England amateurs.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Player
Cristiano Ronaldo
Years
2013–2021
Number
10
Gender
M
Details
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.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Player
Lionel Messi
Years
2012–2024
Number
10
Gender
M
Details
Lionel Messi became the second male player to score 10 international hat-tricks on 15 October 2024 in Argentina's 6–0 victory over Bolivia.
Sven Rydell
Sven Rydell
Player
Sven Rydell
Years
1924–1932
Number
9
Gender
M
Details
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.
Carli Lloyd
Carli Lloyd
Player
Carli Lloyd
Years
2012–2021
Number
9
Gender
F
Details
Lloyd scored 9 international hat-tricks including a five-goal haul in one of her final international matches.
Ali Mabkhout
Ali Mabkhout
Player
Ali Mabkhout
Years
2012–2021
Number
9
Gender
M
Details
As of 2023, Mabkhout has scored 9 international hat-tricks.
Poul Nielsen
Poul Nielsen
Player
Poul Nielsen
Years
1913–1921
Number
8
Gender
M
Details
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.
Gerd Müller
Gerd Müller
Player
Gerd Müller
Years
1967–1972
Number
8
Gender
M
Details
Müller scored 8 international hat-tricks for West Germany, including 2 in the 1970 World Cup.
Ranked list
Player
Years
Number
Gender
Details
Alex Morgan
2012–2021
12
F
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. She scored her record-breaking twelfth international hat-trick in 2021.
Christine Sinclair
2000–2012
11
F
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.
Vivian Woodward
1903–1914
10
M
He scored 4 hat-tricks for England and 6 hat-tricks for England amateurs.
Cristiano Ronaldo
2013–2021
10
M
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.
Lionel Messi
2012–2024
10
M
Lionel Messi became the second male player to score 10 international hat-tricks on 15 October 2024 in Argentina's 6–0 victory over Bolivia.
Sven Rydell
1924–1932
9
M
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.
Carli Lloyd
2012–2021
9
F
Lloyd scored 9 international hat-tricks including a five-goal haul in one of her final international matches.
Ali Mabkhout
2012–2021
9
M
As of 2023, Mabkhout has scored 9 international hat-tricks.
Poul Nielsen
1913–1921
8
M
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.
Gerd Müller
1967–1972
8
M
Müller scored 8 international hat-tricks for West Germany, including 2 in the 1970 World Cup.
· Records › Most hat-tricks › Most consecutive hat-tricks in history
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
Josef Bican
Josef Bican
Player
Josef Bican
Year
1940
Number
5
Gender
M
Division
1
Details
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.
Stjepan Lucijanić
Stjepan Lucijanić
Player
Stjepan Lucijanić
Year
2016
Number
5
Gender
M
Division
7
Details
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.
Ahmed Rizwan
Ahmed Rizwan
Player
Ahmed Rizwan
Year
2018
Number
5
Gender
M
Division
1
Details
Club Eagles' striker Ahmed Rizwan also equalized the record in October 2018, after scoring five hat-tricks in five consecutive matches of the Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League.
Ranked list
Player
Year
Number
Gender
Division
Details
Josef Bican
1940
5
M
1
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.
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.
Ahmed Rizwan
2018
5
M
1
Club Eagles' striker Ahmed Rizwan also equalized the record in October 2018, after scoring five hat-tricks in five consecutive matches of the Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League.
References
For example, Danny Butterfield is not included for scoring a hat-trick for Crystal Palace on 2 February 2010 against Wol
