- What Is a Hat-Trick in Football? The Basic Rules
- Where Does the Word Hat-Trick Come From?
- What Is a Hat-Trick in Football? Perfect Hat-Tricks Explained
- The Fastest Hat-Tricks in Premier League History
- What Is a Hat-Trick in Football? The Record Holders
- Famous Hat-Tricks Fans Still Talk About
- Which Players Score Hat-Tricks Most Often?
- What Is a Hat-Trick in Football? Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a hat-trick in football?
- Do the three goals have to be scored in a row?
- Does a hat-trick count if the team loses?
- What is a perfect hat-trick?
- Who has scored the most hat-tricks in the Premier League?
- What is it called when a player scores four goals in a match?
- Conclusion
What is a hat-trick in football? It is when one player scores three goals in a single match. Few moments in football excite a crowd more, and the player who does it often takes the match ball home as a souvenir. From small local games to World Cup finals, a hat-trick marks a great day for a goalscorer. This guide explains the rules, the history of the word, the perfect hat-trick, and the record holders in the Premier League.
Last updated: November 2026
Quick Answer
- What is a hat-trick in football? One player scoring three goals in a single match.
- The three goals do not have to come one after another.
- A perfect hat-trick is one goal with the left foot, one with the right foot and one with the head.
- Sadio Mané holds the Premier League record for the fastest hat-trick: 2 minutes 56 seconds.
- Sergio Agüero holds the Premier League record for the most hat-tricks, with 12.
What Is a Hat-Trick in Football? The Basic Rules
The simplest answer to what is a hat-trick in football is three goals by one player in one match. The player does not need to score the goals in a row. For example, a striker can score in the first half, then a team-mate scores, then the same striker adds two more goals later. The hat-trick still counts.
Goals scored in extra time count toward a hat-trick. A penalty scored during the match also counts. Goals scored in a penalty shootout do not count, because a shootout is not part of the match itself. The result of the match does not matter either. A player can score a hat-trick in a win, a draw or even a defeat.
Two goals in a match is called a brace. Four goals in a match is called a haul. In football, the hat-trick sits between the two as the most famous scoring feat of all.
Players who score a hat-trick often keep the match ball. The referee hands the ball to the player after the final whistle, and the player takes it home as a souvenir. In fact, many players ask their team-mates to sign the ball as well.
Where Does the Word Hat-Trick Come From?
The term hat-trick comes from cricket, not football. In 1858, a bowler named H. H. Stephenson took three wickets with three consecutive balls. Supporters passed a hat around the crowd to collect money for him, and he was awarded a hat for the feat. The phrase stuck, and football fans later borrowed it for a player who scores three goals in one match.
In cricket, the three wickets must come from three balls in a row. In football, the rule is looser, because the three goals do not have to be consecutive. The idea is the same, though: three successes in a single game.
What Is a Hat-Trick in Football? Perfect Hat-Tricks Explained
A perfect hat-trick is the rarest version of what is a hat-trick in football. It means one player scores three goals in one match with the left foot, the right foot and the head. Fans sometimes call it a golden hat-trick. It shows a player who can finish in every way, and it is much harder than a normal hat-trick.
In the Premier League, 36 players have scored a perfect hat-trick. Only two players have done it more than once. Robbie Fowler scored three perfect hat-tricks, all for Liverpool. Yakubu scored two perfect hat-tricks, once for Blackburn Rovers and once for Everton. As of November 2026, no other player has managed more than one.
A perfect hat-trick is special because most players favour one foot. A striker who scores with both feet and the head in one match has shown the full range of finishing skills. For that reason, fans and pundits treat it as a greater feat than a normal hat-trick.
The Fastest Hat-Tricks in Premier League History
The fastest hat-trick in Premier League history belongs to Sadio Mané. He scored three goals in just 2 minutes 56 seconds for Southampton against Aston Villa on 16 May 2015. Southampton won the match 6-1. Mané scored his first goal after 13 minutes, then added two more before the 16th minute had passed. The crowd barely had time to sit down between the goals.
Before Mané, the record belonged to Robbie Fowler. He scored a hat-trick in 4 minutes 33 seconds for Liverpool against Arsenal in August 1994. Fowler’s record stood for more than 20 years, and many fans thought it would never be beaten. As a result, Mané beat it by more than a minute and a half.
| Player | Time | Match | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sadio Mané | 2 min 56 sec | Southampton vs Aston Villa | 16 May 2015 |
| Robbie Fowler | 4 min 33 sec | Liverpool vs Arsenal | August 1994 |
A fast hat-trick often comes in a big win. When a team scores early and often, the goals can pile up in a hurry. For the biggest scorelines in the league, read our guide to the biggest wins in Premier League history.
What Is a Hat-Trick in Football? The Record Holders
The record for the most Premier League hat-tricks belongs to Sergio Agüero, with 12. He scored his last one on 12 January 2020. Agüero played for Manchester City, and his goals made him one of the greatest strikers in the history of the league. Alan Shearer is second with 11 hat-tricks, and his last came on 19 September 1999. Robbie Fowler is third with 9.
| Player | Premier League hat-tricks |
|---|---|
| Sergio Agüero | 12 |
| Alan Shearer | 11 |
| Robbie Fowler | 9 |
More than 200 players have scored a Premier League hat-trick since 1992. The list includes strikers, wingers and even midfielders. Yet only a few players have done it again and again. Scoring three goals in one match is hard enough. Doing it 12 times, as Agüero did, takes a rare mix of skill, movement and luck.
The first Premier League hat-trick came early in the history of the league. Eric Cantona scored it for Leeds United against Tottenham Hotspur on 25 August 1992. Leeds won the match 5-0, and Cantona set the standard for every hat-trick scorer who followed.
Famous Hat-Tricks Fans Still Talk About
Some hat-tricks matter more than others, because of the stage on which they happen. Only two hat-tricks have ever been scored in a men’s World Cup final. Geoff Hurst scored three goals for England in the 1966 final against West Germany. Kylian Mbappé scored three goals for France in the 2022 final against Argentina. Both finals went to extra time, and both hat-tricks came on the biggest stage in world football.
Hurst’s hat-trick helped England win their only World Cup. Mbappé’s hat-trick was not enough for France, because Argentina won the match on penalties. Even so, his three goals made him the hero of a classic final. These two hat-tricks show that the feat means even more when the whole world is watching.
Which Players Score Hat-Tricks Most Often?
Strikers score most hat-tricks, because they play closest to the goal. A centre forward gets more chances than any other player on the pitch. Wingers and attacking midfielders also score hat-tricks, but less often. Defenders almost never do it, because they spend most of the match far from the other team’s goal.
A player’s role on the pitch decides how many chances they get. To see how each role works, read our guide on football positions explained. A striker who takes penalties has an extra edge, because a penalty is one of the easiest chances in the game. Even so, a hat-trick needs three goals, and no player can plan for that. It takes a good day, a kind defence and a lot of confidence.
What Is a Hat-Trick in Football? Frequently Asked Questions
What is a hat-trick in football?
A hat-trick means one player scores three goals in a single match. The three goals do not have to be consecutive, and goals in extra time count. Goals in a penalty shootout do not count.
Do the three goals have to be scored in a row?
No. A player can score, then a team-mate can score, then the same player can add two more goals. The hat-trick still counts as long as all three goals come in the same match.
Does a hat-trick count if the team loses?
Yes. A hat-trick is about one player’s goals, not the result. Even so, a player can score three goals and still end up on the losing side.
What is a perfect hat-trick?
A perfect hat-trick is three goals in one match scored with the left foot, the right foot and the head. In the Premier League, 36 players have done it, and only Robbie Fowler and Yakubu have done it more than once.
Who has scored the most hat-tricks in the Premier League?
Sergio Agüero holds the record with 12 Premier League hat-tricks. Alan Shearer is second with 11, and Robbie Fowler is third with 9.
What is it called when a player scores four goals in a match?
Four goals in a match is called a haul. It is rarer than a hat-trick, and only a few players have done it in the Premier League.
Conclusion
So what is a hat-trick in football? One player, three goals, one match. It is the simplest way to measure a great day for a goalscorer, from the first Premier League hat-trick by Eric Cantona to the World Cup final heroics of Geoff Hurst and Kylian Mbappé. The fastest and the most frequent hat-tricks belong to the names every fan knows, and the perfect hat-trick remains the rarest of all. For more football stories, visit our Sports News page. You can follow the next matches on our free live scores page, and see ideas for upcoming matches on our free football predictions page.
Related: Hurst’s famous 1966 hat-trick came in extra time, when England beat West Germany 4-2. Read our guide to what is extra time in football for the rules, the golden goal era and what happens when the scores are still level.
Related: For another spectacular way to score, read What Is a Bicycle Kick in Football?.