5 active footballers who have scored the most hat-tricks in top-five European leagues

#3 Robert Lewandowski – 16 hat-tricks

FC Bayern München v FC Salzburg: Round Of Sixteen Leg Two - UEFA Champions League

Arguably the best player in the world at the moment, Robert Lewandowski makes goalscoring looks like child’s play. The Poland international is neither freakishly quick nor is he an outstanding dribbler.

He simply possesses instinctive finishing and a knack for being in the right place at the right time. The Bayern Munich striker has scored 29 goals in the Bundesliga this season, emerging as not only the league’s top scorer but also the frontrunner for the European Golden Boot.

As one would expect, a player of his caliber has scored his fair share of hat-tricks in the top-flight. Before joining Bayern, he was a diligent Borussia Dortmund striker.

He scored 74 times for BVB in the Bundesliga, registering two hat-tricks. The remaining 14 have come in Bayern Munich's colors.

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#2 Lionel Messi – 36 hat-tricks

Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain: Round Of Sixteen Leg Two - UEFA Champions League

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has dominated the sport like no one else. Over his 16-year-spell at Barcelona, the Argentine scored 672 goals, helping the Blaugrana to 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies amongst other honors.

Currently at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi has struggled to find the back of the net in Ligue 1, managing just two goals in 18 games.

Messi scored 48 career hat-tricks for Barcelona, 36 of which have come in La Liga. The last league hat-trick of his career came in a 5-0 win over Eibar in the 2020-21 campaign.

The 34-year-old has not yet registered a hat-trick for PSG, scoring only seven times in 26 games across all competitions.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo – 38 hat-tricks

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

Manchester United No.7 Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the best goalscorer the game has ever seen. At his peak, he was lightning quick, could score from any angle, and had the stamina to keep charging at the opposition right until the final whistle.

He has lost speed and some sharpness at 37, but he is still capable of hitting the back of the net with commendable frequency.

On matchday 29 of the Premier League, Ronaldo scored a stunning hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. The treble marked the second hat-trick of his career in Manchester United’s colors, with the previous one coming against Newcastle United in 2008.

Out of his 36 remaining league hat-tricks, 34 came during his nine-season spell at Real Madrid. The other two came for Juventus in the Serie A.