Hat tricks are one of the most exciting moments in soccer. But what do they mean? What are the common questions people have about hat tricks? And how did this tradition start? In this article, we will answer all of those questions and more! So read on to learn everything you need to know about hat tricks in soccer!
Most soccer fans have heard of a hat trick in soccer, but not everyone knows what it is. There is nothing complicated about the term, and now we will explain it in simple terms.
Scoring goals is the main goal of any striker, but it is the hat trick that is particularly satisfying. The term itself originated in the 19th century, and it is now part of everyday soccer vocabulary. We will explain what a hat trick in soccer means, when it first appeared, the records associated with it, and more.
What is a hat trick in soccer
A hat trick is 3 goals scored by a player in one match. The athlete does not necessarily have to score consecutive goals, both regulation time and overtime are counted. Because of the relative rarity of this event, it has become a tradition for players who make a hat trick in soccer to take the ball as a symbolic award or memorable gift.
There are several related concepts in soccer, and the first is the perfect hat trick. It can be accomplished by scoring one goal with the right foot, one goal with the left foot and one goal with the head. Another is the double hat trick, which is not common in soccer. In simple terms, it is six goals scored by a player in one match. This usually happens in matches in the lower divisions or weak leagues.
Origin of the word
In 2020, the term hat-trick is widely used in various sports, but it is believed that it first appeared in cricket. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the terminology was first used in 1858 after England player H. H. Stevenson took three consecutive wickets. The fans of his team were so amazed by this that after the game they collected money and bought him a hat as a gift. Hence the literal name “hat trick”.
Which players have the most hat tricks
As you might expect, the players who scored the most goals in their career also had the most hat tricks.
Hat tricks in the English Premier League
Former Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers striker Alan Shearer until recently held the English Premier League record for the most hat tricks with 11, but in the 19/20 season he was overtaken by Manchester City forward Sergio Agüero with 12. Former Liverpool star Robbie Fowler had nine hat-tricks. Tottenham striker Harry Kane and career-ending Thierry Henry (Arsenal) and Michael Owen (Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United, Stoke City) each scored eight.
Hat tricks in the La Liga
As for the Spanish La Liga, it is not difficult to identify the two leaders – Lionel Messi (Barcelona) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid). They certainly know how to make this achievement! Messi is in first place with 36 hat-tricks, and Ronaldo with 34.
Hat tricks in the Serie A
In Italy premier soccer tournament is called the Serie A, the large share of “hat tricks” came in the 1940s and 1950s. After that, Italy began the Catenaccio era, during which most teams promoted close soccer and reliability at their goal. The leaders in the number of “hat tricks” are Giuseppe Meazza (Internazionale, AC Milan, Juventus, Varese, Atalanta) and Gunnar Nordal (AC Milan, Roma) – 17 pieces each, and the last time these players featured such statistics was in 1938 and 1955 respectively.
Hat tricks in the Bundesliga
As for the German Bundesliga, Mario Gomes (Stuttgart, Bayern, Wolfsburg) has the most hat-tricks in its history. Second place goes to Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern) with 9, the third – to Claudio Pizarro (Werder, Bayern, Cologne) with 5.
Hat-tricks in the World Cups
52 hat-tricks in the history of the World Cup were scored by 48 players. The leaders in this indicator are Sándor Kocsis (Hungary), Just Fontaine (France), Gerd Müller (Germany) and Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina), who did the “hat trick” twice.
The fastest hat tricks
Making a hat trick in soccer is difficult in and of itself, but some players have managed to do it in a surprisingly short period of time.
Sadio Mane boasts the record for the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history, scoring three times for Southampton in 2 minutes and 35 seconds in a match against Aston Villa on 16 May 2015. The previous record belonged to Robbie Fowler of Liverpool (4 minutes and 33 seconds).
Despite the fact that Ronaldo and Messi have scored a large share of all the hat-tricks in La Liga, neither of them has managed to do so in the shortest time. The record in Spain’s top division belongs to Luis Perez, who scored three goals in 3 minutes for Real Sociedad in a match against Logrones in the 1994-95 season.
The record for the fastest hat trick ever scored in Serie A belongs to former Torino star Valentino Mazzola and former Inter forward Antonio Angelillo, who completed the “hat trick” in just two minutes. Mazzola did it against Vicenza in 1947, Angelo against Spal in 1958.
The fastest hat-trick in the Champions League was recorded by Bafetimbi Gomis, who formerly played for Lyon. On December 7, 2011, he scored three goals within the space of 7 minutes against Dinamo Zagreb. The previous record was set by former Blackburn striker Mike Newell, who scored a perfect hat-trick in 9 minutes against Norwegian “Rosenborg” on December 6, 1995.
