Mbappé joins the list of "hat-trick kings" in the Champions League
The Champions League continues to cement its position as the world's biggest and most exciting club tournament. It remains the biggest dream for players after the World Cup, while football fans consider it the most important tournament of all. Since the competition's inception in 1955 as the European Cup, with Real Madrid winning the first title after a thrilling 4-3 victory over Reims, until its transformation into the Champions League in 1992, the tournament has been a stage for glories and record-breaking. According to statistics, Argentine Lionel Messi leads the list of players who have scored the most hat-tricks with eight, surpassing his Portuguese rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the same record. However, Messi achieved this record in fewer matches, having played 163 matches in the tournament, all for Barcelona, while Ronaldo has played 183 matches, scoring 140 goals, and has scored eight hat-tricks—seven for Real Madrid and one for Juventus. Poland's Robert Lewandowski continues to chase the record, having scored six hat-tricks so far for Barcelona, while French star Kylian Mbappé finally stole the show by scoring his fourth hat-trick in the competition for Real Madrid against Kairat Almaty in the second round of the current edition of the European competition, equaling compatriot Karim Benzema's record and taking fourth place on the list.
Here are the players with the most hat-tricks in Champions League history:
1. Messi (Argentina) - 163 matches - 8 hat-tricks.
2. Ronaldo (Portugal) - 183 matches - 8 hat-tricks.
3. Lewandowski (Poland) - 134 matches - 6 hat-tricks.
4. Mbappé (France) - 89 matches - 4 hat-tricks.
5. Benzema (France) - 152 matches - 4 hat-tricks.
6. Mario Gomez (Germany) - 44 matches - 3 hat-tricks.
7. Luiz Adriano (Brazil) - 47 matches - 3 hat-tricks.
8. Inzaghi (Italy) - 81 matches - 3 hat-tricks.
9. Neymar (Brazil) - 81 matches - 3 hat-tricks.
10. Soldado (Spain) - 23 matches - 3 hat-tricks.
