Cristiano Ronaldo leads Lionel Messi in race for most hat-tricks by active footballers
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for scoring the most hat-tricks by an active footballer, with 66 hat-tricks during his trophy-laden career so far.
Ronaldo, who has the most headed goals in the 21st century among his innumerable records, registered the first hat-trick of his senior career in Manchester United’s 6-0 win against Newcastle United in 2008 while his last came in the Red Devils' 3-2 win against Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League encounter during his second stint with the club.
In a Portugal shirt, Cristiano's last hat-trick came in Portugal’s 5-0 win against Luxembourg in a World Cup 2022 qualifying game. His triple strike was his 10th hat-trick for the national team and he became the first player to score 10 hat-tricks in international football.
Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo is also the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the FIFA World Cup. At 33 years and 130 days, the Portugal skipper scored thrice to help his side draw 3-3 against Spain.
Lionel Messi is second on this list with 57 hat-tricks. The Argentina captain notched his maiden hat-trick in a 2007 El Clasico fixture against Real Madrid, which ended in a 3-3 draw.
Additionally, Messi is the first player to score five goals in a UEFA Champions League game with his effort coming in Barcelona’s 7-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in 2012.
Lionel Messi’s strike partner at Inter Miami Luis Suarez is next on the list for most hattricks having netted 31 trebles so far. He's followed in fourth spot by Poland forward Robert Lewandowski, who has 30 hat-tricks.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane completes the top five list for most hattricks by an active footballer in the 21st century.
Most hattricks by an active footballer
| Players | Total hat-tricks |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 66 |
| Lionel Messi | 57 |
| Luis Suarez | 31 |
| Robert Lewandowski | 30 |
| Harry Kane | 22 |
| Erling Haaland | 21 |
| Neymar | 21 |
| Kylian Mbappe | 19 |
Author: William Paul
Featured photo: AFP /