While football is complex in all its regards, one thing remains an undeniable fact: goals win you games. Goals are the reason most people watch football. We’ve all experienced chills go up our spines when we hear the ball ripple the net at least once in our lives. The current crop of footballers are arguably the best ever in the history of the sport.
Several people say that we are in a period of transition in world football. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are approaching the end of their careers. But on the bright side, we are also lucky to see the next generation of footballers develop into world-class players.Let’s take a look at the five players with the most hat-tricks in the history of modern football.
5 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Mario Gomez, Sergio Aguero – 18
Fifth place on this list is shared by three world-class footballers.Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is a player fondly remembered by Dutch fans worldwide. Featuring for clubs such as Ajax, Real Madrid, Milan and Schalke, the striker racked up 18 hat-tricks throughout his football career.
Mario Gomez is undeniably a legend of German football. The forward played for Bayern Munich, Fiorentina, Wolfsburg and Stuttgart before his eventual retirement in 2020. He also has 78 international caps to his name, scoring 31 goals in the process. Gomez, too, shares the record for the fifth-most hat-tricks in football.
4 Robert Lewandowski – 25
Robert Lewandowski is one of the most prolific strikers of his generation.The 33-year-old has had a stunning career, representing clubs like Lech Poznan, Borussia Dortmund and now Bayern Munich. Having left his mark with all these clubs, there is no doubt that Lewandowski is a lethal striker.
Known for his impressive positioning and inch-perfect shooting, Lewandowski has firmly established himself as a Bayern Munich and Bundesliga legend. He is equally adept with both feet and has a bullet header in his arsenal to boot.
Lewandowski also displays impressive fitness for his age, often acting as the first line of defense in the Bayern Munich system. He has scored 337 Bundesliga goals in 447 appearances and recently surpassed Gerd Muller’s record for scoring in the most consecutive appearances in the competition. Lewandowski is considered by many to be the frontrunner for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
3. Luis Suarez – 29
Luis Suarez is a player who divides opinion among football fans.Undoubtedly a world-class footballer, several football purists have portrayed Suarez as a villain figure in modern football. It is also a common belief that his off-the-field antics have taken away from his achievements on the football pitch.
All things aside, the fact remains that Suarez is simply a phenomenal footballer. He has a certain X-factor about him, and is famous for running directly at defenders and being an all-round footballer.
2 Lionel Messi – 55
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time.A household name in world football, Messi has developed over the years into one of the most complete players in football history. Coming up through La Masia, Barcelona’s youth system, Messi made his professional debut for the Blaugrana in 2004.
He went on to spend 17 long and fruitful years at the Camp Nou. Messi’s club trophy cabinet is truly a sight for sore eyes. La Pulga has won 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey trophies, 8 Supercopas, 4 UEFA Champions Leagues and 3 FIFA Club World Cup awards. Messi added to that count earlier this summer by securing the 2021 Copa America with Argentina.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 58
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the best player in world football history.Ronaldo has enjoyed a thoroughly successful career. Starting out professionally for Sporting Lisbon in 2002, he moved to England a year later and went on to make his name with Manchester United.
Representing the club for six years, Ronaldo won several trophies and broke multiple records as a Manchester United player. He then moved to Real Madrid in 2009 to pursue the next phase of his career, where he only evolved into an even more impressive footballer.