When a player scores a hat-trick, most football fans will know what is meant, but where does the term originate? Any striker’s main goal is to score goals, but a hat-trick gives one an extra sense of accomplishment.
Due to how tough it is to actually score, getting a hat-trick is celebrated in a way that is unmatched. The phrase itself has historical roots in the 19th century and is now a staple of football jargon.
When a player accomplishes the feat of scoring three goals in a single game, it is referred to as a “hat-trick.”
It is not necessary for goals to be scored in a straight line or during extra time; both situations are acceptable.
The match ball is traditionally given to players who achieve a hat-trick of goals as a symbolic prize or keepsake due to the relative rarity of the feat.
When a player scores two goals in a game, which is also referred to as “a brace,” they are frequently referred to as being “on a hat-trick” because one more goal would make it a hat-trick.
Hat-tricks are referred to as tripletta in Italy and coup du chapeau or triplé in France. Interestingly, Germany and Spain are the two countries where the word “hat-trick” is most frequently used.
Perfect Hat Trick
In football, scoring one goal with the right foot, one with the left foot, and one with the head is known as a “perfect hat-trick.” The phrase “hat-trick” is now frequently used in a wide range of sports, but it is said to have started in cricket.
It was first used in 1858, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, after English cricketer H.H. In a match between Hallam and an all-England squad, Stephenson grabbed three wickets in three straight deliveries.
Following that, there was a collection when cash was put into a hat and then given to Stephenson.
First on the Books
There have been 52 hat-tricks scored in over 800 games in the 21 iterations of the competition since it began in Uruguay in 1930.
The first hat-trick was recorded by American Bert Patenaude against Paraguay in 1930, while the most recent was by Englishman Harry Kane against Panama on June 24, 2018. The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was the only World Cup without at least one hat-trick. The 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland had eight players score hat tricks, which is a World Cup record.
The Most Hat – in the World Cup
The players who have scored the most hat-tricks are, unsurprisingly, those who are exceptionally adept at scoring goals.
Alan Shearer, a former striker for Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers, owns the Premier League record for most hat-tricks with 11, while Robbie Fowler, a former Liverpool player, and Sergio Aguero of Manchester City have each scored nine goals. Harry Kane has eight goals already, which puts him on the same level as Michael Owen and Thierry Henry.
However, Lionel Messi holds the record for the most hat-tricks in Champions League history, with eight, one more than Cristiano Ronaldo, who has the most in La Liga with 34 during his stint with Real Madrid.
The records for hat-tricks in Serie A go back to the 1940s and 1950s, which may be a sign of how difficult it has gotten to score in Italy since the introduction of Catenaccio to the nation. Gunnar Nordahl, a former star for AC Milan and Roma, amassed 17 hat tricks while competing in the division, currently holding the record.
Gerd Muller, Sandor Kocsis, Just Fontaine, and Gabriel Batistuta all scored two hat-tricks on football’s biggest stage to tie for the record for most World Cup hat-tricks.
Fastest Hat-Trick in the World Cup
It’s difficult to score three goals in any game, but some players have done it in very little time.
The fastest hat-trick in Premier League history was achieved by Sadio Mane, who scored three goals for Southampton in two minutes and 35 seconds against Aston Villa on May 16, 2015. In 1994, Fowler for Liverpool against Arsenal set the previous mark of four minutes and 33 seconds, which Mane eclipsed.
Despite having the most hat tricks in La Liga, Ronaldo hasn’t been able to accumulate them quickly. Luis Perez holds the record for the fastest three goals in three minutes in the top division of Spain. He did this for Real Sociedad against Logrones in the 1994–95 season.
Former Torino player Valentino Mazzola and former Inter forward Antonio Angelillo hold the record for the fastest hat-tricks ever scored in Serie A, each scoring three goals in less than two minutes. Mazzola accomplished it against Vicenza in 1947, while Angelillo did so against SPAL more than ten years later, in 1958.
