Top five hat-tricks in professional football

A football player can go his entire career without scoring a goal, but some are able to bag more than one in a single game. A hat-trick can make a player’s career or match unforgettable; especially if it takes place during an important game. Football fans can visit PMU and wager on their favorite player to score a hat-trick in their next game.

Hat-tricks are a special occurrence. We take a look at some of the most memorable hat-tricks in professional football.

Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas – European Cup Final 1960

Real Madrid legends Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas were the first players to score hat-tricks in a European Cup Final. The duo did it in the 1960 championship game to power Real Madrid past Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3. With football fans gearing up for the next round of Champions League matches, supporters can use this promo code to wager on the team they predict will win.

Puskas scored his hat-trick first and finished with four goals in total. Only one other player ever scored in a European Cup Final and that honor went to AC Milan’s Pierino Prati in 1969.

Rivaldo – La Liga 2001

For a hat-trick to be truly great, it needs to come in a meaningful match. Rivaldo’s 2001 hat-trick for Barcelona against Valencia may not have come in a cup final, but it did get his team into the Champions League on the final day of the La Liga season.

Rivaldo’s first strike came from a wonderfully struck free-kick. His second was a 25-yard golazo that gave Barcelona hope of topping their rivals. His third goal was the best of the lot as he scored with an overhead kick in the 88th minute. It was perhaps the only way Rivaldo could top the previous two goals.

Stanley Mortensen – 1953 FA Cup Final

Stanley Mortensen is the only player to ever score a hat-trick in the FA Cup Final. Although the final is called the “Matthews Final” thanks to Sir Stanley Matthews performance, it was Mortensen who scored three of Blackpool’s goals as they defeated rivals Bolton Wanderers 4-3.

In February 2018, the ball was auctioned off by Hanson’s Auctioneers. The legendary 18-panel football sold for £5,250.

Paolo Rossi – 1982 World Cup second round

Paolo Rossi entered the 1982 World Cup for Italy following his suspension for match betting. Rossi was included in the Azzurri team despite being unfit for the tournament. The Juventus player made few impressions on Italy’s three group games despite the team advancing to the second-round group stage.

Italy faced off against pre-tournament favorites Brazil with a trip to the semifinals on the line. The match allowed Rossi to achieve footballing redemption with a hat-trick to send the Azzurri into the next round. The trio of goals helped Rossi win the tournament’s golden boot award, and months later, the World Player of the Year.

Geoff Hurst – World Cup Final 1966

Geoff Hurst is the only player to ever score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final. That simple fact makes his three goals against West Germany in 1966 the top hat-trick in professional football history.

The English striker scored a perfect hat-trick (header, right foot, left foot) as England won 4-2. Nowadays, Hurst’s hat-trick is remembered by football fans of a certain generation. However, its importance in a major tournament final makes it an accomplishment every football fan should remember.