Lionel Messi has scored the most hat-tricks in men’s international football, with 11. He went past Cristiano Ronaldo’s 10 at the 2026 World Cup, scoring three in Argentina’s 3–0 win over Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on 16 June 2026.
For most of the last decade the two were level or Ronaldo was ahead. Ronaldo has not added an international hat-trick since October 2021; Messi has added four in that time.
Most hat-tricks in men’s international football
Full men’s internationals only. Complete for every player on nine or more, and correct to 8 September 2026.
| Rank | Player | Country | Hat-tricks | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 11 | 2012–2026 |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 10 | 2013–2021 |
| 3 | Sven Rydell | Sweden | 9 | 1924–1932 |
| 3 | Ali Mabkhout | United Arab Emirates | 9 | 2012–2021 |
| 5 | Poul Nielsen | Denmark | 8 | 1913–1921 |
| 5 | Ali Daei | Iran | 8 | 1996–2004 |
| 5 | Gerd Müller | West Germany | 8 | 1967–1972 |
Lionel Messi’s 11 international hat-tricks
Nine of the 11 are three-goal hauls; the exception is the five he scored against Estonia in June 2022, the only five-goal haul of his international career.
| No. | Date | Opponent | Goals | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 Feb 2012 | Switzerland | 3 | 3–1 |
| 2 | 9 Jun 2012 | Brazil | 3 | 4–3 |
| 3 | 14 Jun 2013 | Guatemala | 3 | 4–0 |
| 4 | 10 Jun 2016 | Panama | 3 | 5–0 |
| 5 | 10 Oct 2017 | Ecuador | 3 | 3–1 |
| 6 | 29 May 2018 | Haiti | 3 | 4–0 |
| 7 | 9 Sep 2021 | Bolivia | 3 | 3–0 |
| 8 | 5 Jun 2022 | Estonia | 5 | 5–0 |
| 9 | 28 Mar 2023 | Curaçao | 3 | 7–0 |
| 10 | 15 Oct 2024 | Bolivia | 3 | 6–0 |
| 11 | 16 Jun 2026 | Algeria | 3 | 3–0 |
The one against Ecuador is the best known. Argentina needed to win in Quito to reach the 2018 World Cup, went a goal down inside a minute, and Messi scored all three in a 3–1 win. The one against Algeria is the first he has scored at a World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 10 international hat-tricks
Ronaldo’s first came against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park on 6 September 2013, in a 4–2 win in World Cup qualifying. His tenth came against Luxembourg on 12 October 2021, a 5–0 win, again in World Cup qualifying.
Two of the 10 were four-goal hauls — against Andorra in October 2016 and against Lithuania in September 2019 — and the most watched was the 3–3 draw with Spain at the 2018 World Cup in Sochi, where he scored in the 4th minute from the penalty spot, the 44th, and the 88th from a free-kick. He has also scored hat-tricks against Sweden, Armenia, the Faroe Islands, Switzerland and Lithuania a second time.
The players behind Messi and Ronaldo
Sven Rydell scored nine for Sweden between 1924 and 1932, in a career of 49 goals from 43 caps. That was Sweden’s goalscoring record for more than 80 years, until Zlatan Ibrahimovic passed it in 2014.
Ali Mabkhout scored nine for the United Arab Emirates between 2012 and 2021, the first against Bahrain in October 2012 and the last against Jordan in May 2021.
Ali Daei scored eight for Iran, the first against Nepal in June 1996 and the last against Laos in November 2004 — the match in which he became the first man to reach 100 international goals. Poul Nielsen scored eight for Denmark between 1913 and 1921, and Gerd Müller eight for West Germany between 1967 and 1972.
Why Vivian Woodward is not on this list
Some lists put England’s Vivian Woodward second on 10. That figure counts amateur and Olympic internationals alongside full caps. In full internationals Woodward won 23 caps and scored 29 goals — and 10 hat-tricks would need at least 30. The list above counts full internationals only, which is why he is not on it.
The women’s game
The record across all of international football belongs to the United States’ Alex Morgan, who scored 12. Canada’s Christine Sinclair scored 11 between 2000 and 2012, level with Messi, and the United States’ Carli Lloyd scored nine.
Most hat-tricks in international football: quick answers
Who has scored the most hat-tricks in international football? Alex Morgan, with 12 for the United States. In the men’s game it is Lionel Messi, with 11 for Argentina.
Does Messi have more international hat-tricks than Ronaldo? Yes — 11 to 10, since the 2026 World Cup.
When was Cristiano Ronaldo’s last international hat-trick? 12 October 2021, against Luxembourg.
Has anyone scored five in a men’s international? Messi did, against Estonia in June 2022.
Who has scored the most international goals? See our list of the highest international goalscorers in football.
See also our list of the most hat-tricks by an active footballer.
Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates from the world of sports!
Interested in football betting? Click here to check out the list of top sites.
Photo credit: Alamy