5 oldest hat-trick scorers in Europe's top five leagues since 2000

Real Betis legend Joaquin scored a hat-trick for the club aged 38 years old.
Real Betis legend Joaquin scored a hat-trick for the club aged 38 years old.

#3 Joaquin - 38 years, four months and 18 days

Real Betis Balompie v Valencia - Copa del Rey Semi Final
Real Betis Balompie v Valencia - Copa del Rey Semi Final

Spain and Real Betis icon Joaquin is another player who has enjoyed a great deal of longevity in his professional career. The 40-year-old winger currently captains his boyhood club Real Betis in the Spanish La Liga.

Joaquin started his professional career at Real Betis and left the club in 2006 before returning in 2015. Joaquin became the oldest player to score a La Liga hat-trick when he scored his first-ever treble in a 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao in 2019.

The former Spain international was 38 years, four months and 18 days old when he achieved this feat.


#2 Rodrigo Palacio - 39 years, two months and 28 days

Rodrigo Palacio with his matchball after a hat-trick against Fiorentina
Rodrigo Palacio with his matchball after a hat-trick against Fiorentina

Easily recognizable by the single braided strand of hair on the back of his head, Argentinean striker Rodrigo Palacio is second on this list. The 39-year-old has had a long and fruitful career in Serie A with Inter Milan and Genoa since moving to the league in 2009.

Palacio was a prolific goalscorer throughout his time in the Italian top flight for the clubs he represented. Palacio scored a hat-trick for Bologna against Fiorentina in a 3-3 draw with a performance that saw him grab all the headlines.

In a match that featured highly-rated Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, it was the experience and guile of Palacio that caught the eye. While Vlahovic scored a brace in the game that was held in May 2021, Palacio scored three times to earn his side a draw.

Palacio's efforts saw him eclipse the record set by Silvio Piola, who previously held the record for the oldest player to score a Serie A hat-trick in 1950. The former Argentine international now plays for Brescia in Serie B.


#1 Jorge Molina - 39 years, eight months and one day

Granada CF v RCD Mallorca - La Liga Santander
Granada CF v RCD Mallorca - La Liga Santander

When Jorge Molina scored a hat-trick for Granada against RCD Mallorca at the weekend, Mallorca hearts were not the only thing he broke. The veteran striker also broke the record for the oldest player to score a hat-trick in Europe's top five leagues.

Molina scored his treble aged 39 years and 241 days, as Granada defeated RCD Mallorca 4-1. The Spaniard became the oldest player to score a hat-trick since 2000, breaking the record set earlier this year by Palacio.

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Edited by Shourjo Chatterjee
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