What Is a Hat-Trick in Football?

What a hat-trick is

A hat-trick in football is when a single player scores three goals in one match. It's one of the game's most celebrated individual feats — rare enough to be memorable, and a mark of a striker having a truly dominant day. By tradition, the player who scores a hat-trick keeps the match ball.

Where the term comes from

The phrase originates not in football but in cricket. In the 1850s, a bowler who took three wickets with three consecutive deliveries was rewarded with a hat — often a new one bought by a collection, or paraded around in his hat. The term "hat-trick" carried over into football and other sports to mean any three-of-something achievement by one player.

Types of hat-trick

Not all hat-tricks are the same, and fans have names for the notable variations:

Perfect hat-trick — three goals scored with the right foot, the left foot, and a header. Considered the most complete version.
Flawless / clean hat-trick — three goals scored consecutively, without any other player scoring in between.
Standard hat-trick — any three goals by the same player in a match, regardless of method or order.

The match ball tradition

The custom of the hat-trick scorer keeping the match ball dates back many decades. Players often have the ball signed by teammates as a keepsake of the achievement. It remains one of football's nicest traditions — a physical memento of a standout performance.

How rare is a hat-trick?

Hat-tricks are uncommon because scoring even one goal at the top level is difficult. A player who reaches three has usually combined clinical finishing with a defence having an off day. Some of the game's greatest goalscorers — including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo — have recorded dozens across their careers, which is itself a measure of their extraordinary consistency.