7 Players With the Most Hat Tricks in Football History As Cristiano Ronaldo Bags 66th Treble

• Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo led Al-Nassr to an emphatic victory
• The 39-year-old netted three times in the 6-0 win vs. Al-Wehda
• Sports Brief looks at where he ranks in terms of total hat-tricks

Cristiano Ronaldo scored another hat-trick in the Saudi Pro League season as Al-Nassr thrashed Al-Wehda 6-0.

The Portugal international was on fire as his side registered an important win to keep their Saudi Pro League title hopes alive on Saturday.

His fourth hat-trick of the league season highlighted the prowess of the 39-year-old, proving too formidable for the Al-Wehda players. This achievement marked the 66th hat-trick of his illustrious career.

Sports Brief presents a glance at the top seven players with the most hat-tricks in football history.

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Players with the most hat-tricks

Pele - 92

Brazilian legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, has netted 92 hat-tricks in football, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

It's quite difficult to acknowledge records of the past, as most of them are not clear, but Pele's were certified by the most reliable record-keeping source.

Pele, who played most of his football for Santos in Brazil, is widely considered as one of the greatest footballers to ever grace the game.

The Samba Boys icon is the only footballer to have won more World Cups, having clinched three with Brazil.

Cristiano Ronaldo - 66

Many fans believe Cristiano Ronaldo's career is winding down, but the 66 hat-tricks the 39-year-old has recorded are no easy feats.

Impressively, the Portuguese icon had scored 30 hat-tricks before he turned 30 years old - and made it 30-plus after the age of 30.

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Ronaldo actually started developing into a lethal footballer after joining Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003. He scored his first hat-trick for United against Newcastle in 2008.

He was instrumental as the Red Devils won the 2008 Champions League title. He won the FIFA Player of the Year that year, becoming the first and only player in the Premier League to do so.

After joining Real Madrid in 2009, Ronaldo was crowned with his second Ballon d'Or award in 2013. He notched his first hat-trick for the Spanish giants in May 2010 against RCD Mallorca.

After winning three consecutive UCL titles with Los Blancos, Ronaldo joined Juventus after the 2018 World Cup, before returning to Old Trafford and later switching to the Middle East.

Lionel Messi - 56

Lionel Messi has amassed an incredible 56 triples in his illustrious career. His first came for Barcelona against their arch-rivals, Real Madrid, in a 3-3 draw at Camp Nou in March 2007.

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After that match, the Argentine genius introduced himself to the football world. In fact, only six players have bagged two hat-tricks in El Clasico and it's no surprise that he is one of them.

In his professional career, going back to 2004, Messi has scored 56 hat-tricks, with eight coming in the Champions League, plus three in domestic leagues and six in international matches.

Having already won eight Ballon d'Or awards, extending his record with the coveted prize in 2023, the veteran helped Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, for the first time in 36 years.

Ali Ashfaq - 35

Ashfaq may not be a familiar name to many fans, as he primarily played his matches in his home country of the Maldives.

Throughout his career at various clubs, the forward impressed by scoring more goals than the number of appearances he made.

In the 21st century, only two players have achieved more hat-tricks than Ashfaq, which is an impressive effort in its own right.

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Robert Lewandowski - 31

The FC Barcelona forward gets better with age, just like a fine wine.

After scoring his maiden hat-trick for Barcelona against Viktoria Plzen in September last year, Lewandowski became the first player to hit Champions League trebles for three different sides.

In the Bundesliga last year, while playing for Bayern Munich, it took the Poland captain just nine minutes to score five goals against VfL Wolfsburg.

The former Dortmund forward is widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, having scored over 500 goals for club and country.

Lewandowski has won numerous honours including the Champions League title, the UEFA Super Cup, and 10 Bundesliga titles.

Luis Suarez - 30

The star striker of the Uruguayan national soccer team went on to play for Ajax and Liverpool before he joined FC Barcelona.

He has since played for Atletico Madrid, returned to his boyhood club in Uruguay, and now plies his trade in MLS with Inter Miami.

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Suarez came into prominence for all the wrong reasons - including biting Italian defender, Giorgio Chiellini, during a World Cup match in 2014.

However, he is still considered to be one of the best strikers in the world and has been the European Top Scorer and winner of the ‘Golden Boot’ award twice.

Ali Mabkhout - 27

Mabkhout has exclusively represented Al Jazira throughout his career. With an impressive tally of 210 goals in 280 league matches, his statistics are nothing short of sensational.

The club's fans will undoubtedly feel a sense of loss when he eventually decides to retire from the game. Moreover, Mabkhout has recorded 17 hat-tricks for his UAE Pro League side and an additional nine for his national team.

Although he may not be as widely recognised in the global football sphere, Mabkhout's achievement of nearly 30 hat-tricks at any level is truly remarkable.

Such a feat would be challenging for the average fan to replicate even in their local Sunday League matches.

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Ronaldo and Al-Nassr not slowing down

Sports Brief recently reported on Ronaldo's statement after the Abha win.

The veteran posted on social media that Al-Nassr were not slowing down.

Ronaldo has now scored 29 goals in the Saudi Pro League in this season.