Soccer Hat Trick: Meaning, Origin and Records

A hat trick in soccer is the term used when a player scores three goals in a single game. Goals scored during a penalty shootout do not count towards the total.

When a soccer player scores a hat trick, he or she is traditionally given the match ball after the game. If a player scores one goal with his left foot, one with his right foot, and one with his head, it is sometimes called a “perfect hat trick.”

Origins of “Hat Trick”

Many North Americans associate the term “hat trick” with ice hockey (when a player scores three goals in a game, the fans throw their hats onto the ice). The origins of the phrase, however, come from cricket.

The first use of “hat trick” in cricket dates from 1858, when a player called H.H. Stephenson of the All-England XI took three wickets (dismissed three players) in three consecutive bowls of the ball. The first recorded use of “hat trick” in ice hockey dates back to the 1940s.

Fastest Soccer Hat Trick

Incredibly, the world record for the fastest soccer hat trick is 90 seconds!

According to the Guinness World Records website, Tommy Ross scored three goals in 90 seconds for Ross County against Nairn County in Scotland on November 28, 1964. Now that’s a tough record to beat...

World Cup Hat Tricks

In the 19 World Cup tournaments since 1930, only 49 hat tricks have been scored (in more than 700 games).

The first ever World Cup hat trick was scored by an American. The player, Bert Patenaude, scored three goals in a game between the USA and Paraguay in the 1930 World Cup.

English striker Geoff Hurst is the only player to have scored a hat trick in a World Cup final. He scored three goals in the 1966 final between England and West Germany (two of his goals came in extra time).

Have you ever scored a soccer hat trick? Tell us all about it in the comments section below!