Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's Hat-Trick Records Compared
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been prominent figures in soccer for nearly two decades, consistently breaking goalscoring records. Since Ronaldo achieved his first career hat-trick in 2008, he has had only two calendar years without scoring at least three goals in a match.
Ronaldo's first official hat-trick occurred on January 12, 2008, against Newcastle, contributing to a 6-0 victory for Manchester United. After a brief hiatus in 2009, he maintained a remarkable streak of scoring at least one hat-trick each year from 2010 to 2024. His most prolific year was 2011, during which he reportedly scored nine or ten hat-tricks. His latest hat-trick came on October 29, 2026, in a match for Al-Nassr.
In contrast, Lionel Messi has had only one year without a hat-trick since his first treble in 2007. He recorded his first hat-trick on March 10, 2007, and has scored at least one hat-trick every year from 2009 to 2026, with his peak performance in 2012 when he achieved nine hat-tricks. While Ronaldo leads in total career hat-tricks with 67, Messi follows closely with approximately 62, showcasing their extraordinary consistency in scoring.
