The best World Cup hat-tricks
There were 54 World Cup hat-tricks between 1930 and 2022. Here, a look at some of the most memorable trebles in the men's tournament...
The first hat-trick in the World Cup was scored by the United States' Bert Patenaude in a 3-0 win over Paraguay on July 17, 1930.
Argentina's Guillermo Stábile and Uruguay's Pedro Cea also netted hat-tricks in the inaugural World Cup and every edition of the tournament bar one has featured at least one three-goal haul.
There were no hat-tricks at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but there have been 54 in total, with only four players having achieved it twice.
Here, a look at some of the more memorable trebles through the years at the men's World Cup...
32. Angelo Schiavio
Angelo Schiavio scored Italy's first World Cup goal in a 7-1 win over the United States in 1934 and went on to complete his hat-trick in the same game.
Schiavio, who spent his entire club career with Bologna, also netted Italy's winner in the final against Czechoslovakia to seal a first World Cup trophy for the Azzurri. Blighted by injuries after that, he never played for Italy again.
31. Preben Elkjær
A prolific scorer for Denmark in an 11-year international career, Preben Elkjær netted 38 international goals for the Scandinavian nation.
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Four of the last five came at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico as the striker followed up a winner against Scotland with a hat-trick in a 6-1 victory over Uruguay in the group stages.
30. Harry Kane
Harry Kane finished as the top scorer at the 2018 World Cup after scoring six goals for England en route to the semi-finals in Russia.
Three of those strikes came in a 6-1 win over Panama in the group stages, including two penalties. The former Spurs striker also scored against Tunisia (twice) and Colombia.
29. Xherdan Shaqiri
Xherdan Shaqiri was named Man of the Match in two out of three of Switzerland's group games at the 2014 World Cup – against Ecuador and Honduras.
Against the Central Americans, the winger netted a hat-trick in a 3-0 win, which included a spectacular curler from 30 yards. Switzerland lost narrowly to Argentina in the last 16.
28. Rob Rensenbrink
Rob Rensenbrink played for the Netherlands for over a decade between 1968 and 1979 and started in two World Cup finals for the Dutch – in 1974 and 1978.
At the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, the former Anderlecht winger netted three goals – including two penalties – in a 3-0 win over Iran in the group stages.
27. Teófilo Cubillas
Teófilo Cubillas played in three World Cups for Peru and the attacking midfielder scored 10 goals in the tournament – five in 1970 and five again in 1978.
Cubillas' five goals at Argentina 78 included a hat-trick against Iran, which featured two penalties, just like Rob Rensenbrink's treble against the Asian side eight days earlier.
26. Oldřich Nejedlý
Oldřich Nejedlý played as an inside forward for Sparta Prague and Czechoslovakia in the 1930s, starring for his nation at the 1934 World Cup in Italy.
Nejedlý scored all three goals as Czechoslovakia beat Germany in the semi-finals and finished as the tournament's top scorer with five, although this was only officially recognised later on. Czechoslovakia lost in the final to the hosts, Italy, after extra time.
25. Pauleta
Pauleta scored 47 goals in 88 games for Portugal and was the nation's top scorer until his mark was passed – and later obliterated – by Cristiano Ronaldo.
At the 2002 World Cup, Pauleta hit a hat-trick for Portugal in a 4-0 win over Poland, but the striker's treble could not prevent a disastrous group-stage exit for the Portuguese in Japan and South Korea.
24. Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose scored five goals at the 2002 World Cup and was a contender for the Golden Boot in Japan and South Korea.
All of Klose's goals in the tournament were headers, including his hat-trick against Saudi Arabia in an 8-0 win, and some suggested he should receive a Golden Hat if he finished as top scorer. He didn't, ultimately winning the Silver Boot instead, but it was a nice thought.
23. Gonzalo Higuaín
Gonzalo Higuaín is often remembered more for his misses than for his goals, but the former Argentina striker scored 31 goals for his national team in 75 caps.
Three of those came in a group game against South Korea at the 2010 World Cup as Higuain hit the second, third and fourth goals in a 4-1 win for Diego Maradona's side. It was the first World Cup hat-trick by any player in eight years and the only one at the 2010 World Cup.
22. Gustav Wetterström & Harry Andersson
Sweden got to the semi-finals of the 1938 World Cup, despite winning only one match in France. The Scandinavians advanced directly to the quarter-finals after Austria united with Germany and decided to withdraw.
In the last eight, Sweden thrashed Cuba 8-0, with two of their players scoring hat-tricks. Gustav Wetterström completed his in just 12 minutes, netting the Scandinavians' second, third and fourth goals in the 32nd, 37th and 44th minutes. Harry Andersson had opened the scoring and added two more late in the game. Sweden lost to Hungary in the semi-finals and were beaten by Brazil in the third-place match.
21. Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller scored 10 goals for Germany in his first two World Cups and helped Joachim Löw's side win the trophy at Brazil 2014.
Müller scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win against Portugal in Germany's opener in 2014 and went on to net against the United States and Brazil later in the tournament.
20. Gary Lineker
England's 1986 World Cup campaign started slowly as Bobby Robson's side lost to Portugal and then drew with Morocco in their opening two matches in Mexico.
But the Three Lions clicked into gear with a 3-0 win over Poland in their final group game to advance to the knockout stages. Gary Lineker scored all three goals and went on to finish as the tournament's top scorer with six. England lost to Argentina in the quarter-finals.
19. Leônidas
Leônidas was the first Brazilian to score a hat-trick at the World Cup and remains one of just three men from the South American nation to achieve that feat.
The former Flamengo and São Paulo forward scored three, including two in extra time, as Brazil beat Poland 6-5 in the round of 16 at the 1938 World Cup. Poland's Ernst Wilimowski scored four in the same match, but still ended up on the losing side.
18. Gonçalo Ramos
Gonçalo Ramos came into the Portugal side for their last-16 clash with Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup as Cristiano Ronaldo surprisingly dropped down to the bench.
Ramos repaid the faith shown in him by coach Fernando Santos by hitting a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over the Swiss, but Portugal went out to Morocco in the quarter-finals.
17. Ademir
Ademir scored nine goals for Brazil at the 1950 World Cup and finished as the tournament's top scorer.
Four of those goals came in one match as the legendary forward scored Brazil's first, second, fourth and fifth goals in a 7-1 win over Sweden in the second group stage. Brazil went on to lose the decisive match against Uruguay at the Maracanã, having needed only a draw to be crowned champions for the first time.
16. Tomáš Skuhravý
Tomáš Skuhravý scored Czechoslovakia's opening goal at the 1990 World Cup, against the United States, and played a pivotal part in the Czechs' run to the quarter-finals at Italia 90.
Skuhravý scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Costa Rica in the last 16. All of his goals were headers, making his the first hat-trick of headers in World Cup history. In the last eight, Czechoslovakia lost narrowly to eventual winners West Germany.
15. Igor Belanov
Igor Belanov won the Ballon d'Or in 1986 after starring for Dynamo Kyiv in their European Cup Winners' Cup victory that year.
Also in 1986, the Ukraine-born forward helped the Soviet Union reach the knockout stages of the World Cup in Mexico, but his hat-trick against Belgium could not prevent a 4-3 defeat to Belgium after extra time in the round of 16.
14. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is the only man in history to have scored in five different World Cups – and one performance stands out above all.
The Portuguese hit a brilliant hat-trick against Spain in the group stages of the 2018 World Cup in Russia to earn his side a 3-3 draw in a thrilling contest. He may yet feature in the tournament again in 2026.
13. Oleg Salenko
Oleg Salenko made World Cup history in 1994 when he became the only men's player to score five goals in a match at the tournament.
Salenko hit five in a 6-1 win for Russia against Cameroon in their final group game, but it was not enough to seal qualification for the knockout stages and incredibly, he never played for his country again.
12. Zbigniew Boniek
Poland finished in third place at the 1982 World Cup and Zbigniew Boniek played an important part in the success of the Red-Whites in Spain.
Boniek scored a hat-trick against Belgium in the second group stage to give Poland a 3-0 win and the Poles advanced to the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions Italy. In the third-place match, Poland beat France 3-2.
11. Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis scored two World Cup hat-tricks for Hungary at the 1954 tournament and finished as top scorer with 11 goals as the Mighty Magyars reached the final.
Kocsis scored all three in a 3-0 win over South Korea in the group stages and then netted four in an incredible 8-3 victory against West Germany three days later. The two teams met again in the final, with the Germans 3-2 winners in Bern this time.
10. Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta scored 10 goals across three World Cups for Argentina and the former Fiorentina forward is the only man to net hat-tricks in two different editions of the tournament.
Batistuta scored three in a 4-0 win over Greece in the group stages at USA 94 and added another treble in a 5-0 thrashing of Jamaica in the opening round of France 98. Both hat-tricks included one penalty.
9. Gerd Müller
There were only two hat-tricks at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico – and legendary West German striker Gerd Müller scored them both.
Müller hit three goals in a 5-2 win over Bulgaria on June 7 and followed that up with a second hat-trick three days later as West Germany beat Peru 3-1. The Bayern Munich great would finish as the tournament's top scorer with 10 goals as West Germany reached the semi-finals and was a World Cup winner on home soil four years later.
8. Pedro Cea
Pedro Cea was the third player in World Cup history to score a hat-trick and the first to net three goals in a knockout match in the tournament.
The Uruguay striker was on target three times as Uruguay thrashed Yugoslavia 6-1 in the semi-finals and went on to score an all-important equaliser against Argentina in the final as the Celeste won 4-2 to claim the inaugural trophy. Cea was also part of the Uruguay teams which won Olympic gold in 1924 and 1928.
7. Emilio Butragueño
Denmark had a fine team at the 1986 World Cup and the Scandinavians took the lead in the first half of their last-16 clash with Spain.
But La Roja mounted an impressive comeback to win the tie 5-1 in Querétaro, with legendary Real Madrid forward Emilio Butragueño on target four times – including a fourth from the penalty spot – in an ultimately one-sided contest.
6. Just Fontaine
Pelé may have been the biggest star of the 1958 World Cup, but the legendary Brazilian forward was not the tournament's top scorer.
That honour went to France's Just Fontaine, who netted a record 13 goals to win the Golden Boot, including two hat-tricks – a treble in a 7-3 win over Paraguay in the group stages and four in a 6-3 victory against West Germany in the third-place match 20 days later.
5. Eusébio
Trailing North Korea by three goals inside 25 minutes, Portugal looked to be crashing out of the 1966 World Cup in the quarter-finals. Enter Eusébio.
The legendary Benfica forward hit four goals – including two penalties – in a sensational comeback as Portugal stormed back to win 5-3 and seal a place in the last four.
4. Paolo Rossi
Paolo Rossi won the Golden Boot at the 1982 World Cup after scoring six goals for Italy en route to their triumph in Spain – including a thrilling hat-trick against Brazil.
In one of the World Cup's greatest-ever games, Brazil only needed a draw against Italy in the second group stage clash to make the semi-finals. But Tele Santana's side kept on attacking and Rossi punished them with a historic treble in Barcelona. He went on to score again in the final as Italy beat West Germany to win the trophy for a third time.
3. Pelé
Pelé not only finished as a winner in his debut World Cup, but did so at the tender age of 17 and as a key player in Brazil's first-ever win in the tournament.
The young Santos forward hit a hat-trick in a 5-2 victory over France in the semi-finals and added two more as Brazil beat Sweden by the same scoreline in the final five days later.
2. Kylian Mbappé
Already a World Cup winner in 2018, Kylian Mbappé led France to the final again in 2022 and finished as the tournament's top scorer with eight goals.
There was no World Cup trophy this time, but Mbappé became only the second player in the tournament's history to net a hat-trick in the final. His treble, which included two penalties, earned a 3-3 draw for Les Bleus after extra time. The former Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain forward also scored in the shootout, but France lost out on this occasion.
1. Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst started the 1966 World Cup on the bench, but came into the side after an injury to Jimmy Greaves and became the first player ever to hit a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
Hurst scored a header early in the game and two in extra time, including an effort which bounced off the crossbar and onto the goal line, which was awarded despite protests from the West German players. England went on to win 4-2.
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Ben Hayward is the Weekend Editor of FourFourTwo. A European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.
