A hat trick is when a player scores three goals in the same match. It used to be tradition for fans to throw their hats onto the pitch when one was scored — that is where the name comes from, though the tradition has mostly died out.
Types of Hat Tricks
A 'perfect hat trick' refers to scoring with the right foot, left foot, and head in the same game. A 'hat trick of hat tricks' means three hat tricks in three consecutive matches — extraordinarily rare. Some competitions track 'natural hat tricks' where the three goals are scored consecutively, without any goals from the other team or from teammates in between.
Why Three Goals?
The term originates from cricket, where a bowler who took three wickets with consecutive balls was awarded a hat by their club. The phrase was borrowed by soccer and became standard. In many countries the same concept is called a 'triplete' (Spanish) or 'triplé' (French) — same achievement, different word.
Famous World Cup Hat Tricks
World Cup hat tricks are rare and memorable. Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina, 1994 and 1998) scored hat tricks in consecutive tournaments. Cristiano Ronaldo scored one in the 2018 group stage against Spain — a performance that had the whole world talking. Miroslav Klose, the all-time World Cup top scorer, never scored a hat trick but scored 16 goals across four tournaments.
With the expanded WC26 format offering more matches, the conditions for hat tricks are improved — strikers on form will have more opportunities. The Golden Boot race often comes down to whether a top scorer manages a hat trick in a decisive match.
