The History of World Cup Hat Tricks

First staged in 1930, the FIFA World Cup is held every four years and during its 80 year history 2063 goals have been scored. But somewhat surprisingly, however, and despite being classed as a goal-scoring-fest the tournament’s 700 matches have only produced 48 hat-tricks.   

The first World Cup hat-trick was scored by Bert Patenaude during the group stages of the 1930 tournament when he hit-the-net three times against Paraguay to see the United States progress into the knockout stages of the competition. 

Fancy Dress for the World Cup

Click on Picture to View and Buy

Brazil’s Pele at just 17 years-of-age is the youngest player ever to have scored a World Cup hat-trick while Sweden’s Tore Keller at 33 is the oldest player to score three goals in a match during the competition. Pele’s hat-trick helped Brazil beat France 5 – 2 in the 1958 World Cup semi-final with Brazil overcoming Sweden in the final to be crowned winners of the tournament. Keller’s hat-trick came in the 1938 quarter-final when Sweden hammered eight past Cuba. The Swedes were beaten 5 – 1 by Hungary in the semi, a match that saw a hat-trick scored by Gyula Zsengellér.

Four players have scored two hat-tricks during World Cup matches; Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis scored a brace of hat-tricks at the 1954 tournament with  France’s Just Fontaine equalling the feat in 1958;  Germany’s Gerd Müller notched up two hat-tricks in 1970  and Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta scored hat-tricks in 1994 and 1998. Batistuta is the only player ever  to score hat-tricks at two separate World Cups.

Hungary’s László Kiss holds the record for scoring the fastest hat-trick at a World Cup. Kiss scored his hat-trick in 1982 when he fired three goals past El Salvador  in the 69^th, 72^nd and 76^th minutes of the game. Kiss is also the only substitute ever to have scored a hat-trick at a World Cup. 

Only two players have scored hat-tricks for the losing team during a World Cup match. In 1986 the Soviet Union’s Igor Belanov scored a hat-trick when his team were beaten 4 – 3 by Belgium and in the 1954 quarter-final Switzerland’s Josef Hügi rattled in three goals when his side took on Austria only to see his team beaten 7 -5. That match produced two hat-tricks with the second being scored by Austria’s Theodor Wagner. 

Czechoslovakia’s Tomáš Skuhravý and Germany’s Mirolsv Klose are the only two players to have scored hat-tricks during a World Cup match from headers. Skuhravý hit-the-net three times in 1990 when his team beat Costa Rica and Klose scored his hat-trick in 2002 when Germany thrashed Saudi Arabia 8 – 0.

But the most memorable World Cup hat-trick came in the 1966 final at Wembley Stadium when England’s Geoff Hurst scored three times to see his team beat West Germany 4 - 2.  England were crowned World Cup Champions and Hurst is the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. 

However, England’s win has often been hailed controversial. With the score standing at  2 - 2  Hurst fired a shot a goal. The ball hit the crossbar, ricocheted down and hit the ground so quickly that  it was impossible to tell whether or not it crossed the goal-line. But the goal was awarded to take the score to 3 – 2 in favour of England. Recently, digitally enhanced images have been said to prove that the ball did not cross the line, but such claims are somewhat irrelevant as in the last minute of the match Hurst scored again to secure an English victory. 

Rare in the history of the World Cup, during the 2006 tournament none were scored, hat-tricks are a footballing phenomenon that inspire players and fans alike ensuring that those fortunate enough to score one are remembered with passion and affection. And below is a table naming all the players who have scored a World Cup hat-trick.