Ranking the Top 5 Lionel Messi Hat-tricks in La Liga

Lionel Messi played his first game in La Liga on October 14, 2004, and 14 years after his debut, it is safe to say that he is the greatest player in the history of the Spanish League. He has the most goals and most assists in La Liga history and has 33 hattricks to his name which is only behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Right from his younger days, Messi possessed the ability to completely change the course of a match with his unmatchable talent and a sharp eye for goal.

His inherent ability to effortlessly dribble past the opposition defenders and his tendency to make outside-the-box screamers look easy has made him an invaluable commodity for Barcelona. In recent years, he has taken his freekick scoring rate to another level and has become the most complete player on the planet. 'Leo' has scored many game-changing hattricks throughout his career. This list consists of five such hattricks scored by Messi in La Liga.

#5 Barcelona vs Deportivo La Coruna ( 29/4/2018)

Barcelona vs Deportivo La Coruna

2017/18 season was supposed to be a difficult season for Barcelona in La Liga due to the departure of Neymar to PSG. But the little genius carried Barcelona to La Liga glory with another cool and composed performance. He scored the second goal for Barcelona in the 38th minute with a beautiful close-range volley after a looping ball from Luis Suarez. But Deportivo fought back and equalized in the second half.

But a stunning piece of build-up play between Suarez and Messi led to Barcelona’s third and title-clinching goal. In a perfect one-two moment, Messi passed the ball to Suarez and made a run to parry the ball into the net. The last goal was also assisted by Suarez and Messi’s lightning-quick acceleration was too quick for the opposition defenders and he safely deposited the ball past the goalkeeper to confirm Barcelona’s La Liga triumph. The great understanding between Suarez and Messi once again proved to be the X-factor for Barcelona.

#4 Barcelona vs Real Betis (18/3/19)

Barcelona vs Real Betis

Barcelona was unbeaten in all competitions at the Camp Nou for 792 days before Real Betis stunned them by pulling off a memorable 4-3 victory. The Blaugrana were looking to avenge their loss in the away fixture at the Benito Villamarin. In the 15th minute of the game, Arthur was fouled at the edge of the box and a freekick was awarded. Messi took the freekick and netted it into the left corner in style to give Barcelona an early lead.

Messi scored the second goal just before half time as he converted a brilliant backheel assist from Luis Suarez. The third goal was one of his career best as he sumptuously flicked the ball while running across inside the box to give Barcelona a three-goal lead in the game. The Real Betis goalkeeper Paul Lopez was bemused as the ball looped over his head to find the net.

#3 Barcelona vs Sevilla (23/2/19)

Barcelona vs Sevilla

Sevilla has been one of Messi’s favorite opposition is his career and he troubled them further with a thunderous hattrick away from home. Sevilla took the early lead in the game and Barcelona were going nowhere until Messi struck in the 26th minute. Rakitic played out across from the left wing and the Argentinian wizard leveled with an incredible volley. But Mercado scored in the 42nd minute and was leading 2-1 at half time.

In the second half, Messi took complete control of the game as he scored two goals and provided an assist to Suarez to put the game beyond Sevilla. In the 67th minute, his powerful strike from his weak foot levelled the scoring once again. He then scored the winning goal with a delicate chip past the goalkeeper. In the extra time, he played out a neat pass to Suarez who converted it effectively to give Barcelona a 4-2 victory.

#2 Barcelona vs Real Madrid ( 10/3/2007 )

Barcelona vs Real Madrid

This was the game when Lionel Messi showcased his incredible talent to the whole world. Only 23 players have scored a hattrick in El Clasico history, and then there is Leo Messi who did it at the age of 19. Madrid scored in the 4th minute but the Barcelona man calmly equalized with a low drive after he was left unmarked inside the box. Van Nistelrooy scored again but a remarkable run from Ronaldinho resulted in Messi’s second goal.

Ronaldinho beat several defenders and his shot was deflected by Casillas. The ball fell before Leo Messi who blasted it into the roof of the net to equalize for Barcelona. The third goal was magic in slow motion as the first beat Ivan Helguera with great ball control and Sergio Ramos’s last-minute slide could not prevent Messi’s strike. This was the first of many more mind-blowing performances from the little genius.

#1 Barcelona vs Malaga ( 22/1/2012 )

Barcelona vs Malaga

This performance is probably a bit underrated as it did not come against top tier opposition. Nevertheless, this hattrick had three different goals and each of them was magnificent in their own way. The first goal was a brilliant, perfectly placed header that gave Barcelona the lead in the game. His next two goals were simply unbelievable but the magician made it look so effortless.

Messi received the ball a few yards outside the box and made a brilliant run which he completed with an immensely composed strike. When he shot, there were six defenders surrounding him - an image to describe Messi’s ingenious skill. For many players, the second goal would have been their career best but Messi emulated his own effort with a counter-attack goal of the highest quality. He made a run from the middle of the pitch and the defenders simply could not catch up with him as he drove the ball low into the right corner.