It is in Every players dream to be called up for international duties. International football continues to hold prominence in the sport’s calendar.
International football offers a chance to witness some of the biggest players play together and against each other.
Therefore, performances in international football are also viewed with a lot of interest and scrutiny. In this regard, plenty of players have established themselves as legends of the game, not just through their exploits at club level but also for their countries.
While scoring even one goal for your country is a thing of pride, some have made it a habit to be the constant source of goals and inspiration for their nations.
A select few though have made it a habit of scoring goals and hat-tricks on the international stage. It is what has separated them as the best from the rest. So, we look at the five players with the most hat-tricks in international football.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo -10
When you talk about Ronaldo, the first thing which comes in mind is goals and record breaking, the other thing that criss crosses the mind is long standing debate between him and Messi is is footballs great [GOAT] but this two players are football best players and this argument might never come to an end.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s stats speak for themselves. He is the highest scorer in international football with 115 goals. Cristiano has scored a mind-blowing 58 hat-tricks in his career, including 10 international hat-tricks for Portugal.
His 10 hat-tricks for Portugal puts him at the top of this list of players with the most hat-tricks in international football. Cristiano surpassed the record previously set by Sven Rydell with his 10th hat-trick against Luxembourg on October 12. He became the first footballer to score 10 international hat-tricks in the process.
2. Sven Rydell -9
One of the greatest Swedish strikers of all-time, Sven Rydell was the first big player out of Sweden.
Rydell spent his entire playing career in his homeland and scored 49 goals in just 43 games for the Swedish national team. His tally stood as the Swedish record for 80 years, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic surpassed it in 2014.
What’s more impressive is that Rydell scored nine hat-tricks in his tally of 49 goals. It puts him firmly in the second spot on this list.
3. Ali Daei -8
Ali Daei is a certified legend of Asian football.
He represented clubs like Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin, but his legendary status was established during his time with the Iranian national team.
Cristiano Ronaldo[L] with Ali Daei [R]; photo/courtesy
4. Lionel Messi -7
The Argentine and hat-tricks go a long way.
The legendary Argentine has won almost everything there is to win and more. Messi has scored 55 hat-tricks in his career, including seven for Argentina.
The 34-year-old has scored trebles for ‘La Albiceleste’ against Switzerland, Brazil, Panama, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti and recently Bolivia.
Lionel Messi ; photo/courtesy
Messi is the highest scoring South American player in history. He surpassed Pele’s tally of 77 goals with recent international hat trick.
5. Pele -7
One of the greatest players ever, Pele shot to prominence with his exploits for Brazil and Santos. He led his country to their first-ever World Cup title in 1958 at the age of just 18. In doing so, he also scored in the final to become the first teenager to score in a world cup stage.
Pele’s influence on Brazilian football and sporting culture is unmatched. It started from his performances on the pitch for the Selecao. He scored 77 goals in just 92 games for Brazil, the highest by any player for the record world champions. He also notched up seven international hat-tricks.
While many find it tough to win even one World Cup in their career, Pele won an unprecedented three with Brazil. He is the first and only player to accomplish this feat. Pele received the “FIFA Player of the Century” award in 2000 for his accomplishments in the game.
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