The history of the game of football is filled with moments of brilliance that football fans have latched on to for years to come. Be it Dennis Bergkamp’s marvellous goal against Newcastle or Steven Gerrard’s fierce pile-driver against Olympiakos, the game’s history is filled with moments that bring smiles to our faces.
While scoring a solitary goal can prove to be a tough task, some players over the years have showcased an ability to find the back of the net at a regular frequency. Given the same, scoring a hat trick is what every attacker dreams of and there are a few that specialise in it.
We must admit, we were spoilt for choice when we had to compile a list of top 5 individual hat tricks scored but have mustered up the courage to compile a list of top 5 hat-tricks scored in the recent times in no particular order.
#1 Wayne Rooney vs Fenerbahce 2004
The Manchester United captain arrived at the Old Trafford in a £25 million move after impressing for Everton. With expectations high around him, the Englishman was expected to take the world by the storm when he came of age. However, it did not take a long time for Rooney to leave a mark on every Manchester United fans’ heart in his senior debut for the legendary club.
His first goal in a Manchester United shirt came in the 17th minute when he latched on to loose ball around the Fenerbahce box and lashed a shot with his lesser preferred left-foot. His second goal of the evening was a work of pure athleticism as he skipped past an onrushing defender to again let fly from outside the box to beat the Fenerbahce goalkeeper in the 28th minute.
A hat-trick looked on the cards for the then 18-year-old and the Manchester United brigade, which was not short on firepower when it came to dead ball situations let Rooney take a promising free kick from just outside the box and prodigious attacker disappoint as he bent one over the Fenerbahce wall to curve home his first hat trick in a Red Devils jersey.
#2 Ronaldo vs Manchester United 2003
The Brazilian enjoyed some marvellous years in Europe as he proved to be a fearsome presence up front for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan. With a goal tally of 272 in 449 appearances across all competitions during his time in Europe, the Brazilian was the elite striker in Europe and it came as no surprise that he was snapped up by Real Madrid in the summer of 2002.
His most pivotal performance and hat trick came in a Champions League encounter against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. It was Guti who played a crucial role in his first goal as he slid a ball to him from the middle of the park. However, Rio Ferdinand’s defensive and Fabian Barthez’s erraticness in front of the goal were on display as the Brazilian left the Englishman clicking on his heels before beating the Frenchman at the near post.
His second was a result of an unselfish move by the marauding Roberto Carlos who latched on to a beautifully threaded pass by the French master Zinedine Zidane before squaring it for Ronaldo to apply the finishing touches. Ronaldo required no help for his third goal as he found the ball with the goal 35 yards away and let fly from outside the box to find the far corner of the goal.
When he left the pitch in the 80th minute, the player deservedly received a standing ovation from both the sets of fans it will be a moment to cherish for the legendary striker forever.
#3 Lionel Messi vs Real Madrid, 2007
There is no better way to leave a lasting impact on the hearts of Barcelona fans than finding the back of the net against arch-rivals Barcelona. Lionel Messi was back then known as a promising product of the famed La Masia academy, who had the potential to be the best in the business with the passage of time.
Having impressed since being promoted to the senior Barca side in the 2004-05 season, the Argentine magician truly established himself as a star when he scored a hat-trick against Real Madrid in a league outing on 10th March 2007, in the process becoming the first player in 12 years to score a hat trick in 12 years.
The little magician, who was just 19 years old at that time, opened Barcelona’s scoring in the 10th minute as he latched on to a pass across the Real Madrid box before unleashing his deadly left foot to leave Iker Casillas reeling. His second goal came in the 27th minute when the Real Madrid defence failed to deal properly with Ronaldinho and the ball fell loose to Lionel Messi to volley it home.
However, it was his final goal on the evening that truly caught the eye as Messi demonstrated his ability to beat players with his pace as well as silky touch. Messi received the ball just outside the Real Madrid box and instantly took out 2 players with his first touch. He left another Madrid defender before finding the far bottom corner of Iker Casillas’ goal to notch up his first hat trick against his side’s arch-rivals.
His performance ensured that he got a standing ovation from both the sets of fans, the first since the legendary Diego Maradona and this could be termed as the game that was the beginning of many more magical evenings to come for the Argentine.
#4 Dennis Bergkamp vs Leicester 1997
Very few players in the history of the game have possessed the ability to created time and space in the opposition’s box like the Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp. After having joined Arsene Wenger’s troops in 1995, Bergkamp had established himself as a pivotal player under the Frenchman.
The Dutchman gave the footballing fraternity a performance to remember for a long time with a hat trick against Leicester City in the opening month of the 1997-98 season. His first goal was a moment of pure footballing ability as he received the ball just outside the Leicester box before unleashing a foot with his right foot to find the top corner. For his second goal, Bergkamp found the ball just in the attacking third and dodged an onrushing Leicester defender before chipping the ball over the Leicester goalkeeper.
However, it was his final goal on the evening that truly demonstrated his ability on the ball as he latched on to a long ball from his teammate. He juggled around 2 defenders before sending the ball into the far bottom corner of the Leicester goal to complete a marvellous hat-trick. An aesthetic yet prolific presence up front for Arsenal, the Dutch man went on to etch himself in the glorious memoirs of the Gunners and will always be remembered for the wonderful hat trick he scored against the Foxes.
#5 Rivaldo vs Valencia 2001
It was the final game of the La Liga season 2000-01 when Barcelona met Valencia in a game that would decide who would qualify for the subsequent season of the UEFA Champions League. One man who dominated the proceedings on the evening was the Brazilian Rivaldo, who proved to be too hot to handle for the Valencia defence.
Rivaldo opened the proceedings in the 4th minute when he curled home a free-kick from outside the box to beat the Valencia keeper. His and Barcelona’s 2nd goal of the evening came in the first added minute of the first half when he thundered home a shot from outside the box.
However, it was not an easy outing for Barcelona as Valencia equalled on both occasions and it was left to a pure moment of brilliance by the Brazilian attacker to settle the game. With just over a minute to play for in the 2nd half, a ball was chipped towards the Valencia box in a desperate moment to find the winner. What followed was a moment that has grabbed the youtube views ever since. Rivaldo controlled the ball on his chest before acrobatically beating the Valencia keeper with a fierce overhead kick.
Needless to say, Barcelona won the game and qualified for the subsequent season of the UEFA Champions League and Rivaldo’s heroics on that evening ensured that it was the finest hat tricks ever scored by a player in the Barcelona colours.
