The Champions League is the most prestigious and the biggest tournament in the sport. Players dream to lift the beautiful trophy with their respective teams, with a number of teams from all around Europe fighting to win the trophy. Many legends have played and made history by scoring hat-tricks in the Champions League. In this article, we look at the 5 players with the most hat-tricks in the Champions League
#5 Neymar Jr. (3 hat-tricks)
After Messi and Ronaldo, Neymar Jr. is considered to be one of the best players in the world, the Brazilian magician is also known to be the most skilful player of this generation. Neymar, after shining at the local level for Santos, earned a move to Barça, a transfer that would change the path of his career. The forward did wonders with Barça, his trio with Messi and Suarez, popularly known as ‘MSN’ was very lethal. The Brazilian was crucial in leading the charge for Barça’s 2015 UCL title.
In 2017, he moved to PSG for a record transfer fee, making him the most expensive footballer of all time. Paris Saint-Germain were building a special team in order to achieve their dream of winning the Champions League, and they considered Neymar to be the perfect fit for the team. He was instrumental in taking the club to its first-ever UCL final.
#4 Robert Lewandowski (3 hat-tricks)
A perfectly fit Lewandowski is a nightmare for any defence in the world, the Polish striker has time and time again of how capable he is. Last year, Robert was the favourite to take the Ballon d’Or home and would’ve won it if it hadn’t been cancelled, he scored 55 goals in all competitions and was very lethal going forward. He played a key role in Bayern’s treble as they won the league, the UCL, and the DFB Pokal.
He has scored an outrageous number of goals in the UCL throughout his career while bagging 3 hat-tricks in the process. His presence was felt by Bayern as they lost to PSG, he would’ve surely had an impact on the game as he is regarded as one of the best strikers in world football.
#3 Mario Gomez (3 hat-tricks)
One of the most underrated strikers, Mario Gomez, has not got enough credit for his heroics with both Bayern Munich and Stuttgart. Gomez was very dangerous in front of the goal as he barely missed any chances that came to him, as he boasts a fantastic finishing rate. The striker has scored 26 goals from 40 appearances in the Champions League, including three hat-tricks.
The German played an integral role in 2013 when Bayern Munich went on to win the UCL. If Gomez had continued with Bayern, no doubt that he would’ve added more Champions League titles to his tally.
#2 Lionel Messi (8 hat-tricks)
Widely regarded as the best player in the history of the sport, Lionel Messi has outrageous stats in the Champions League. He has netted 106 goals in just over 130 outings while scoring 8 hat-tricks, a number that only his arch-rival Ronaldo has managed. The maestro’s dribbling and creative ability has proved to be a nightmare for the greatest of the defenders.
He has bagged hat-tricks against Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Ajax and Manchester City, all of them in Blaugrana colours. His left foot is known to be the best in the sport, and once he gets the ball at his feet, it is almost impossible to stop him, and he has the stats to show for it. His performances on the pitch has ensured that he won the competition four times.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (8 hat-tricks)
At the age of 35, Cristiano Ronaldo is still considered to be one of the best in the world. Known as ‘Mr. Champions League’ he is also the competition’s highest goal-scorer and the best ever to grace the competition in the eyes of many. Even though he has a lot a bit of pace, the forward’s movement and finishing makes up for it, he has had 6 hat-tricks for Real Madrid and 2 for current club Juventus.
The Portuguese has scored hat-tricks against Ajax, Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg and two infamous hat-tricks vs Atlético Madrid. Like his rival Messi, Ronaldo has managed to net 8 hat-tricks in the competition as well but has taken more games to do it, as he tops this list of the 5 players with the most hat-tricks in the Champions League.
