Messi vs Ronaldo: Who has more hat-tricks?
The seemingly never-ending football argument about who is the “Greatest of All Time,” or G.O.A.T., has intensified once more following Cristiano Ronaldo’s two incredible hat-tricks on Saturday, which helped his Saudi football team Al Nassr win, and another on Tuesday, April 2, against Abha.
The Portuguese star made headlines three days earlier in Al Nassr’s 5-1 win over Al Tai by scoring three goals within 23 minutes and also scoring another hat-trick in Al Nassr’s 8-0 Saudi Pro League trashing of Abha on Tuesday.
The former Real Madrid man only enjoyed the first half action as he was substituted, but he contributed to all five goals as his team led 5-0 at the break.
Ronaldo not only reached a new milestone in his remarkable career but also outscored his bitter rival Lionel Messi in terms of hat-trick goals.
While Messi, who plays for the American club Inter Miami, has achieved hat tricks on 57 occasions in his career, Ronaldo currently has 65. The Argentine has been outstanding for his new team, and he still has eight hat-tricks left to tie Ronaldo.
In recent seasons, the Inter Miami playmaker’s rate of hat-trick has decreased significantly and it is going to be difficult for “La Pulga,” who hasn’t scored a hat-trick since Argentina defeated Curacao 7-0 in an international friendly on March 28, 2023, to catch up with his rival.
It has been over a year since the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner scored three goals in one game.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has scored more hat tricks since turning 30 than he did before. With 39 goals and 11 assists in 40 games this season, the Al Nassr star has had an incredible season.
In addition, he leads the Saudi Pro League goal charts with 29, four more than Al Hilal’s Aleksander Mitrovic, who sustained a hamstring injury over the weekend that will keep him out of play for the next six weeks.
Messi has been sidelined for a few weeks due to a hamstring injury, but he also had a great start to the season with five goals.
Read also: Ronaldo, Messi…See footballers with highest number of hattricks
