Defenders Who Scored a Hat-Trick in Football History: Defenders are usually known for their ability to stop opponents from scoring, but there are a few who have also been good at scoring goals. More than 15 defenders have scored three goals in a single official match, whether they were playing for their club or their national team.
Some of the most famous examples are Fernando Hierro, Musaed Neda, and Bernard Dietz. These defenders were not just good at defending; they could also score goals from different parts of the field, showing their overall skills.
Defenders Who Scored a Hat-Trick in Football History
Here are some of the most well-known defenders who have scored hat-tricks:
1. Fernando Hierro
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 3 (3,3,3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1991, 1992, 2002 |
| Country | Spain |
Fernando Hierro, during his career, managed to score three hat-tricks, with two of them happening in La Liga and one in the UEFA Cup. His first hat-trick took place on November 30, 1991, when his team won 5-1 against Espanyol.
His second one occurred on October 21, 1992, in a 5-2 victory over Torpedo Moscow in the UEFA Cup. The final hat-trick came on March 24, 2002, when his team beat Real Zaragoza 3-1.
Hierro was a versatile defender who could play either as a center-back or a right-back. What’s unique about him is that he was also quite a good goal-scorer. He managed to score 127 goals in a total of 610 appearances for Real Madrid. This achievement made him the third-highest-scoring defender in the club’s history.
2. Musaed Neda
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 2 (3,3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004, 2005 |
| Country | Kuwait |
Musaed Neda, during his career, managed to score two hat-tricks, and both of them happened while he was playing for Al-Qadisia in the Kuwaiti Premier League. The first time he achieved a hat-trick was on May 16, 2004, when his team defeated Al-Arabi with a score of 5-1 during the semi-finals of the 2003-04 season.
His second hat-trick occurred on September 16, 2005, when Al-Qadisia won 4-0 against Al-Nasr in the 2005 Gulf Club Champions Cup.
Neda, although primarily a defender, was recognized for his attacking abilities. He was skilled at dribbling, and passing, and had a knack for finishing goals. Throughout his time with Al-Qadisia, he managed to score 26 goals in 176 appearances, making him the 12th-highest-scoring defender in the club’s history. Additionally, he played a crucial role in the Kuwait national team and contributed to their victory in the 2000 Gulf Cup of Nations.
3. Bernard Dietz
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (4) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1977 |
| Country | West Germany |
Bernard Dietz did something really impressive. He scored four goals when his team, MSV Duisburg, beat Bayern Munich 6-3 on November 5, 1977.
What’s even cooler is that he’s the defender who has scored the most goals in the history of the Bundesliga. And he’s also second on the list of top goal-scorers for MSV Duisburg in the top league.
4. Aad Mansveld
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1977 |
| Country | Netherlands |
The defender Theo de Jong scored three goals in the first half of Den Haag’s 4-3 win over West Ham in the quarter-finals of the 1975-76 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
De Jong was a sweeper who was known for his attacking instincts. He was a good dribbler and passer, and he was also a good finisher. He scored 10 goals in 26 appearances for Den Haag in the 1975-76 season.
De Jong’s hat-trick against West Ham was a remarkable achievement, and it helped Den Haag to a famous win over one of the best teams in England.
5. Réver
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2013 |
| Country | Brazil |
Rever, the captain of Atlético Mineiro, scored a perfect hat-trick in a 5-2 win over América-MG in the Campeonato Mineiro on March 7, 2013. A perfect hat trick is when a player scores three goals in a match with all three goals scored from different parts of the pitch: the left foot, the right foot, and the head.
Rever’s hat-trick came in the first half of the match. He scored his first goal in the 13th minute with a header from a corner kick. He scored his second goal in the 22nd minute with a shot from the left foot. He completed his hat-trick in the 36th minute with a shot from the right foot.
6. Alpay Özalan
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2002 |
| Country | Turkey |
7. Dean Gordon
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
| Country | England |
8. Steve Staunton
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1989 |
| Country | Republic of Ireland |
9. Naldo
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2006 |
| Country | Brazil |
10. Aden Flint
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2015 |
| Country | England |
11. Sinisa Mihajlovic
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998 |
| Country | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia |
12. Amber Tysiak (women)
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2021 |
| Country | Belgium |
13. Stan van den Buys
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
| Country | Belgium |
14. Meikayla Moore
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
| Country | New Zealand |
15. Daley Blind
| Hat-Trick (Goals) | 1 (3) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2018 |
| Country | Netherlands |
