A hat trick in soccer means a single player scores three goals in one match. It is one of the most celebrated individual achievements in the sport — rare enough to be special, spectacular enough to change a game entirely. When a player scores a hat trick, they traditionally get to keep the match ball.

The term "hat trick" originated in cricket in the 1850s, when a bowler who took three wickets in three consecutive deliveries was awarded a new hat by his club. The phrase migrated into football and became part of the sport's standard vocabulary, now used in soccer, hockey, and other sports worldwide.

Types of Hat Tricks in Soccer

Not all hat tricks are equal. The standard definition is simply three goals in a single match, but within that there are several variations:

Standard hat trick
Three goals in one game, scored in any order, at any point during the match. The most common form — goals can be scored across different halves, from different distances, including penalties.

Perfect hat trick
Three goals scored with three different methods: one with the right foot, one with the left foot, and one with the header. Rarer and more celebrated than a standard hat trick, as it demonstrates complete technical ability.

Natural hat trick
Three consecutive goals with no other goals scored in between — by either team. The purest form. If a player scores, then the opponent scores, then the player scores twice more, it is a standard hat trick but not a natural hat trick.

Flawless hat trick
A less common term referring to three goals scored entirely from open play — no penalties, no deflections. Difficult to define definitively, as opinions vary on what counts.

Poker (four goals) and Manita (five goals)
If a player scores four goals it is sometimes called a "poker" (particularly in Spain). Five goals is a "manita." These are exceptionally rare at the highest level.

How Common Are Hat Tricks in Top-Level Soccer?

Hat tricks are rare. In the Premier League, for context, there are typically 10–20 hat tricks per season across 380 games. That works out to roughly one hat trick per 25–35 matches. The frequency varies by level:

The rarity goes up sharply at the elite level. Against top defences with equal technical quality, scoring three goals in 90 minutes as one player requires either an exceptional individual performance, a mismatch, or both.

Who Has the Most Hat Tricks in Soccer History?

Cristiano Ronaldo holds the all-time record for most hat tricks in men's professional soccer with over 60 career hat tricks across club and international football as of 2024. A significant portion came during his time at Real Madrid and with Portugal.

Lionel Messi has scored over 55 career hat tricks, with a large share coming in La Liga with Barcelona and in international football with Argentina.

Gerd Müller, the German striker of the 1960s–70s, scored hat tricks at a remarkable rate relative to the eras he played in — considered by many analysts to be the most clinical finisher in history.

Robert Lewandowski is among the most prolific hat-trick scorers of his generation, with a memorable run of scoring five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg in 2015.

Famous Hat Tricks in Soccer History

Geoff Hurst — 1966 World Cup Final
England vs West Germany at Wembley. Hurst scored a hat trick in the final — the only player ever to score three goals in a World Cup final — as England won 4–2. His second goal, controversially ruled to have crossed the line, remains debated 60 years later.

Ronaldo (R9) — 2002 World Cup Final
Brazil vs Germany. Ronaldo Nazário scored twice in a 2–0 victory to claim the Golden Boot, having returned from a mysterious pre-tournament illness that had left his fitness in serious doubt.

Cristiano Ronaldo — 2018 World Cup vs Spain
Portugal vs Spain, Group Stage. Ronaldo scored a hat trick in a 3–3 draw, with the third goal a stunning free-kick in the 88th minute. Widely considered one of the finest individual World Cup performances.

Erling Haaland — Multiple UCL hat tricks
Haaland has scored multiple Champions League hat tricks for both Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City, becoming the competition's all-time fastest player to reach 25 goals.

Does the Player Keep the Ball After a Hat Trick?

Yes — by long-standing tradition, the match ball is given to the player who scores a hat trick. The ball is usually signed by teammates and sometimes by the entire squad. At club level, the ball is typically presented after the final whistle by the referee or a club official. This tradition is upheld at virtually all levels of the professional game.

Hat Tricks in Women's Soccer

Hat tricks are equally celebrated in the women's game. Marta, the Brazilian forward widely considered the greatest women's player of all time, has scored multiple World Cup hat tricks. Sam Kerr of Australia and Chelsea has scored several hat tricks in the WSL and international football. The women's game has produced some of the most dominant individual performances in the history of soccer, with hat tricks a regular feature at the highest international tournaments.