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Scoring a hat-trick is as good as it gets for a goalscorer. The player's name is chanted around the stadium as he receives a pat on the back from the teammates and gets to take the match ball home as well. Every goalscorer worth their salt wants to experience this feeling at least once, and after they do, they try to replicate it over and over.
Every hat-trick, irrespective of the competition or the opponent, is special. But very few goalscorers are lucky enough to experience this special feeling in different footballing leagues and countries.
Today, we will take a look at a few extraordinary goalscorers who have netted trebles in some of the toughest leagues in the world.
Here are five players who have scored the most hat-tricks in three or more top five European football leagues:
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#5 Salomon Kalou – 4 hat-tricks in 3 leagues
Chelsea legend Salomon Kalou was an exceptional player back in the day. The versatile forward from Ivory Coast possessed impressive close control, had the vision to pick out his teammates, and used to pop up with clinical strikes.
Kalou plied his trade in the Premier League, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga, proving his mettle in each of the three top five European leagues.
Kalou scored a sensational hat-trick for Chelsea against Stoke City in the 2009-10 Premier League season, helping the Blues to an emphatic 7-0 win.
His next hat-trick came in the 2013-14 season in Ligue 1, while he was plying his trade at Lille. Kalou's match-winning treble against Ajaccio helped Lille to a 3-2 win.
His remaining two hat-tricks came for Hertha BSC in the Bundesliga, against Hannover 96 (2015-16) and Borussia Monchengladbach (2016-17), respectively.
#4 Alexis Sanchez – 4 hat-tricks in 3 leagues
Inter Milan star Alexis Sanchez has one of the most enviable resumes in football. He has played for some of the biggest clubs, won the most decorated trophies, and scored a plethora of magnificent goals.
The Chilean star has scored four hat-tricks in the top five European leagues, and he surely looks in shape to add a couple more.
His first hat-trick in a European top five league came in the 2010-11 Serie A season when he was leading the line for Udinese Calcio. Sanchez scored four goals to help his team to a whopping 7-0 win against Palermo.
At his next club, Barcelona, he learned to play in a selfless manner and didn’t score as much. He scored 46 goals for the Camp Nou outfit and managed a solitary hat-trick in the Spanish league. Sanchez’s only La Liga treble came in a 4-0 win over Elche in the 2013-14 season.
The Chile international scored his final two hat-tricks in Arsenal’s colors. The first came against Leicester City in the 2015-16 campaign while he registered the other against West Ham United the following season.
#3 Emmanuel Adebayor – 5 hat-tricks in 3 leagues
Emmanuel Adebayor played for his fair share of top clubs across different countries before hanging up his boots in 2020.
The forward scored five hat-tricks across three of the top five European leagues he played in - Ligue 1, Premier League, and La Liga.
His first hat-trick came for AS Monaco in a 4-0 win against Montpellier in the 2003-04 season.
For his next treble, he had to wait patiently until the 2007-08 season. Playing for Arsenal, he netted two hat-tricks against Derby County in the Premier League, both home and away.
The following season, he scored another hat-trick for the Gunners, this time against Blackburn Rovers.
His final hat-trick in a European top five league came in the 2010-11 season, when he scored thrice for La Liga giants Real Madrid against Almeria.
#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 7 hat-tricks in 4 leagues
New Barcelona signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored an impressive hat-trick in the Catalan giants' 4-1 win over Valencia on Sunday afternoon.
Making his full debut for the Blaugrana in La Liga, Aubameyang scored two first-half goals to help the visitors to a commanding 3-0 lead.
His third goal, which was originally awarded to Pedri during the match, was easily the most entertaining of the lot.
Pedri’s long-ranger took a slight deflection of Aubameyang’s back on its way to beating the Valencia keeper. The deflection was enough for the match official to accredit the Gabonese with his first Barcelona hat-trick.
Of his six remaining trebles, one was against Ligue 1’s Lorient during his time with St. Etienne. Four were for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga - against Augsburg (2), Hamburger SV, and Borussia Monchengladbach, respectively.
His only hat-trick for Arsenal in the Premier League came against Leeds United on matchday 24 of the 2020-21 Premier League season.
Aubameyang is the only player in history to score a treble in four of the top five European leagues.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo – 37 hat-tricks in 3 leagues
Having scored 804 goals for his clubs and country, Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo is the leading scorer in the history of men’s football.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is the perfect specimen of a modern-day goalscorer. He is incredibly fit, unbelievably tenacious, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
Ronaldo, 37, has plied his trade in the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A over the course of his illustrious career. He reached the apex of his goalscoring prowess during his stint at Real Madrid, netting 450 goals for Los Blancos in only 438 appearances.
During his nine-year stay in Madrid, the Portuguese scored a whopping 34 hat-tricks in La Liga.
Out of his remaining three hat-tricks, one came in the Premier League for Manchester United in the 2007-08 season against Newcastle United.
The other two hat-tricks, in Juventus' colors, came against Cagliari in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, respectively.
