A hat trick — when a player scores three goals (excluding penalty shootouts) in a single match — is an exceptional accomplishment in soccer. The feat is held in even higher regard when achieved on the sport’s biggest stage, the FIFA World Cup.
American forward Bert Patenaude recorded the first hat trick at a World Cup, scoring each of the three goals in the United States’ 3-0 win against Paraguay in the group stage of the inaugural tournament in 1930 in Uruguay.
The then-20-year-old Fall River, Massachusetts, native was the youngest player on the 16-member U.S. national team that finished third behind runner-up Argentina and host and champion Uruguay.
Ninety-two years later, at the 2022 World Cup, France‘s Kylian Mbappé became just the second man to record a hat trick in a World Cup final, joining England‘s Geoff Hurst in 1966. Unlike Hurst, Mbappé’s three-goal performance came in a losing effort as the Frenchmen fell to Lionel Messi and Argentina on penalty kicks.
Messi joined the hat trick fun at the 2026 World Cup, notching three goals against Algeria in the group stage.
Check out every hat trick in FIFA World Cup history below.
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June 16, 2026: Lionel Messi (Argentina) in 3-0 win vs. Algeria in group stage
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Dec. 18, 2022: Kylian Mbappé (France) in 3-3 draw vs. Argentina in final (lost on penalty kicks)
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Dec. 6, 2022: Gonçalo Ramos (Portugal) in 6-1 win vs. Switzerland in Round of 16
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June 24, 2018: Harry Kane (England) in 6-1 win vs. Panama in group stage
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June 15, 2018: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) in 3-3 draw vs. Spain in group stage
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June 25, 2014: Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland) in 3-0 win vs. Honduras in group stage
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June 16, 2014: Thomas Müller (Germany) in 4-0 win vs. Portugal in group stage
Read more:U.S.’ Tori Penso second woman to officiate men’s World Cup game
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June 17, 2010: Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina) in 4-1 win vs. South Korea in group stage
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June 10, 2002: Pauleta (Portugal) in 4-0 win vs. Poland in group stage
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June 1, 2002: Miroslav Klose (Germany) in 8-0 win vs. Saudi Arabia in group stage
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June 21, 1998: Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina) in 5-0 win vs. Jamaica in group stage
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June 28, 1994: Oleg Salenko* (Russia) in 6-1 win vs. Cameroon in group stage
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June 21, 1994: Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina) in 4-0 win vs. Greece in group stage
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June 23, 1990: Tomas Skuhravy (Czechoslovakia) in 4-1 win vs. Costa Rica in Round of 16
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June 17, 1990: Michel (Spain) in 3-1 win vs. South Korea in group stage
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June 18, 1986: Emilio Butragueno* (Spain) in 5-1 win vs. Denmark in Round of 16
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June 15, 1986: Igor Belanov (Soviet Union) in 4-3 loss vs. Belgium in Round of 16
Read more:Mikel Merino: Spain ‘mourning’ after Cape Verde draw
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June 11, 1986: Gary Lineker (England) in 3-0 win vs. Poland in group stage
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June 8, 1986: Preben Elkjaer (Denmark) in 6-1 win vs. Uruguay in group stage
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July 5, 1982: Paolo Rossi (Italy) in 3-2 win vs. Brazil in second group stage
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June 28, 1982: Zbigniew Boniek (Poland) in 3-0 win vs. Belgium in second group stage
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June 20, 1982: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany) in 4-1 win vs. Chile in group stage
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June 15, 1982: Laszlo Kiss (Hungary) in 10-1 win vs. El Salvador in group stage
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June 11, 1978: Teofilo Cubilas (Peru) in 4-1 win vs. Iran in group stage
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June 3, 1978: Rob Rensenbrik (Netherlands) in 3-0 win vs. Iran in group stage
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June 19, 1974: Andrzej Szarmach (Poland) in 7-0 win vs. Haiti in group stage
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June 18, 1974: Dusan Bajevic (Yugoslavia) in 9-0 win vs. Zaire in group stage
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June 10, 1970: Gerd Müller (West Germany) in 3-1 win vs. Peru in group stage
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June 7, 1970: Gerd Müller (West Germany) in 5-2 win vs. Bulgaria in group stage
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July 30, 1966: Geoff Hurst (England) in 4-2 win vs. West Germany in final
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July 23, 1966: Eusebio* (Portugal) in 5-3 win vs. South Korea in quarterfinals
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June 3, 1962: Florian Albert (Hungary) in 6-1 win vs. Bulgaria in group stage
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June 28, 1958: Just Fontaine* (France) in 6-3 win vs. West Germany in third-place match
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June 24, 1958: Pelé (Brazil) in 5-2 win vs. France in semifinals
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June 8, 1958: Just Fontaine (France) in 7-3 win vs. Paraguay in group stage
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June 26, 1954: Josef Hugi (Switzerland) in 7-5 loss vs. Austria in quarterfinals
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June 26, 1954: Theodor Wagner (Austria) in 7-5 win vs. Switzerland in quarterfinals
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June 23, 1954: Max Morlock (West Germany) in 7-2 win vs. Turkey in group stage
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June 20, 1954: Burhan Sargin (Turkey) in 7-0 win vs. South Korea in group stage
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June 20, 1954: Sandor Kocsis* (Hungary) in 8-3 win vs. West Germany in group stage
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June 19, 1954: Carlos Borges (Uruguay) in 7-0 win vs. Scotland in group stage
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June 19, 1954: Erich Probst (Austria) in 5-0 win vs. Czechoslovakia in group stage
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June 17, 1954: Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) in 9-0 win vs. South Korea in group stage
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July 9, 1950: Ademir* (Brazil) in 7-1 win vs. Sweden in final group stage
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July 2, 1950: Oscar Miguez (Uruguay) in 8-0 win vs. Bolivia in final group stage
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June 12, 1938: Harry Andersson (Sweden) in 8-0 win vs. Cuba in quarterfinals
Read more:Brazil-born Nunes on representing Portugal: ‘I owe more to Portugal’
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June 12, 1938: Gustav Wetterstorm (Sweden) in 8-0 win vs. Cuba in quarterfinals
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June 5, 1938: Leonidas (Brazil) in 6-5 win vs. Poland in Round of 16
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June 5, 1938: Ernst Wilimowski* (Poland) in 6-5 loss vs. Brazil in Round of 16
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June 3, 1934: Oldrich Nejedly (Czechoslovakia) in 3-1 win vs. Germany in semifinals
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May 27, 1934: Edmund Cohen (Germany) in 5-2 win vs. Belgium in Round of 16
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May 27, 1934: Angelo Schiavio (Italy) in 7-1 win vs. United States in Round of 16
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July 27, 1930: Pedro Cea (Uruguay) in 6-1 win vs. Yugoslavia in semifinals
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July 19, 1930: Guillermo Stabile (Argentina) in 6-3 win vs. Mexico in group stage
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July 17, 1930: Bert Patenaude (United States) in 3-0 win vs. Paraguay in group stage
Read more:Every team’s championship, group odds for the 2026 World Cup
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*Scored four goals
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