History of Hat-tricks in the Champions League up to the 23/24 Season

Hat-trick: In soccer, a hat-trick refers to a player scoring three goals in a single match. This is a rare and significant achievement, showcasing the player's exceptional skill.

Since the rebranding of the European Champion Clubs' Cup as the UEFA Champions League in 1992, 107 different players from 37 countries have scored a hat-trick (three goals or more in a single match) on 152 occasions, representing 53 clubs from 17 leagues. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored the most hat-tricks in the Champions League, each with eight, followed by Robert Lewandowski with six and Karim Benzema with four.

Hat-Trick Records Overview

Multiple Hat-Trick Scorers

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have each scored eight hat-tricks in the Champions League, more than any other players. Robert Lewandowski follows with six hat-tricks, and Karim Benzema with four.

Players Scoring Four or More Goals in a Match

Seventeen players have scored four or more goals in a single Champions League match. Among them, only Messi and Lewandowski have achieved this feat more than once. Messi scored five goals on March 8, 2012, against Bayer Leverkusen, Luiz Adriano scored five on October 21, 2014, against BATE Borisov, and Erling Haaland scored five on March 14, 2023, against RB Leipzig.

Hat-Trick on Debut

Ten players have scored a hat-trick on their Champions League debut. These players include Marco van Basten, Faustino Asprilla, Yakubu, Wayne Rooney, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Grafite, Yacine Brahimi, Erling Haaland, Mislav Oršić, and Sébastien Haller. Of these, van Basten and Haller scored four goals on their debuts.

Consecutive Season Hat-Trick Scorers

Seven players have scored hat-tricks in consecutive seasons. These players are Adriano (2004–05 and 2005–06), Mario Gómez (2010–11 and 2011–12), Roberto Soldado (2011–12 and 2012–13), Ronaldo (2012–13 and 2013–14, and 2015–16 and 2016–17), Messi (2013–14 and 2014–15), Gabriel Jesus (2018–19 and 2019–20), Kylian Mbappé (2019–20 and 2020–21), and Lewandowski (2021–22 and 2022–23).

Special Records

Hat-Trick Scorers as Substitutes

Six players have scored a hat-trick after coming on as a substitute. These players are Uwe Rösler (Kaiserslautern), Joseba Llorente (Villarreal), Walter Pandiani (Deportivo La Coruña), Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).

Youngest and Oldest Hat-Trick Scorers

The youngest hat-trick scorer is Raúl, who scored for Real Madrid against Ferencváros at the age of 18 years and 114 days on October 18, 1995. The youngest debut hat-trick scorer is Wayne Rooney, who scored for Manchester United against Fenerbahçe at the age of 18 years and 340 days on September 28, 2004. The oldest hat-trick scorer is Karim Benzema, who scored against Chelsea at the age of 34 years and 108 days on April 6, 2022.

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The history of hat-tricks in the Champions League is filled with remarkable achievements and memorable moments. Players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have cemented their legacies with multiple hat-tricks and crucial performances in important matches. Fans can look forward to more historic moments in this prestigious tournament in the future.