Football
The Fastest Hat-Trick in Football History
A hat-trick is a remarkable achievement and doing it in record time raises the status of a footballer to legendary. The fastest hat-tricks on record for football have left fans in awe. These moments of brilliance are etched into football history.
Sadio Mane of Southampton//Getty Images
A hat-trick – three goals scored by a single player in a single match – has always been a milestone for any player from amateur to professional football. And the speed at which some players have accomplished this task defies belief – rather freakish in nature. Some goals come from open play, others form set pieces, but all of them have taken extraordinary finishing ability and presence of mind.
BUNDESLIGA//GETTY IMAGES
Fastest Hat-Tricks in Professional Football
Cracking the code on the record-breaking quickest three-goal bursts in pro football will be a tough ask. Tommy Ross, Magnus Arvidsson, and Sadio Mane have etched their names in football history after cementing their places with lightning-quick scoring sprees.
Tommy Ross – 90 Seconds (1964)
A footballer from Scotland by the name of Tommy Ross holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest hat-trick in football history. He was playing in a game for Ross County against Nairn County way, way back in 1964. Ross stunned the opposition by netting three goals in an astounding 90 seconds. Scoring so quick is preparation meeting luck, and even more so, this was at a time when football was not as technical as we see today. But that takes nothing away from his achievement.
Magnus Arvidsson – 89 Seconds (1995)
A much more modern time in football saw Swedish side’s IFK Hassleholm playing Landskrona BoIS in 1995 where striker Magnus Arviddson broke Ross’s record. He found the net three times in 89 seconds which made it the quickest hat-trick on record. The only questionable thing in this magnificent achievement is the fact that it happened in a very low tier of football and isn’t recognized in an official capacity.
Sadio Mane – 2 Minutes 56 Seconds (2015)
No player has scored a hat-trick faster in the English Premier League than Senegalese Sadio Mane. In 2015, while playing for Southampton, Mane destroyed Aston Villa with three goals in a PL record time of 2 minutes and 56 seconds. He smashed the record of Robbie Fowler which sat at 4 minutes and 33 seconds. The first goal was a quick reaction, where he capitalized on a rebounded shot. His second came when after finding himself in a one-on-one situation after a perfectly played through ball and netted with composure. He completed the record-breaking hat-trick in style by cutting inside from the right and curling a precise shot into the top corner!
Fastest Hat-Tricks in Professional Football
Cracking the code on the record-breaking quickest three-goal bursts in pro football will be a tough ask. Tommy Ross, Magnus Arvidsson, and Sadio Mane have etched their names in football history after cementing their places with lightning-quick scoring sprees.
Tommy Ross – 90 Seconds (1964)
A footballer from Scotland by the name of Tommy Ross holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest hat-trick in football history. He was playing in a game for Ross County against Nairn County way, way back in 1964. Ross stunned the opposition by netting three goals in an astounding 90 seconds. Scoring so quick is preparation meeting luck, and even more so, this was at a time when football was not as technical as we see today. But that takes nothing away from his achievement.
Magnus Arvidsson – 89 Seconds (1995)
A much more modern time in football saw Swedish side’s IFK Hassleholm playing Landskrona BoIS in 1995 where striker Magnus Arviddson broke Ross’s record. He found the net three times in 89 seconds which made it the quickest hat-trick on record. The only questionable thing in this magnificent achievement is the fact that it happened in a very low tier of football and isn’t recognized in an official capacity.
Sadio Mane – 2 Minutes 56 Seconds (2015)
No player has scored a hat-trick faster in the English Premier League than Senegalese Sadio Mane. In 2015, while playing for Southampton, Mane destroyed Aston Villa with three goals in a PL record time of 2 minutes and 56 seconds. He smashed the record of Robbie Fowler which sat at 4 minutes and 33 seconds. The first goal was a quick reaction, where he capitalized on a rebounded shot. His second came when after finding himself in a one-on-one situation after a perfectly played through ball and netted with composure. He completed the record-breaking hat-trick in style by cutting inside from the right and curling a precise shot into the top corner!
Fastest International Hat-Tricks
The international front is a different ball game, and playing for your country brings another level of pride and satisfaction for a player. A legend of football, who went on to be the president of FIFA, Michel Platini, once scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes for France in the Euros of 1984. However, the fastest three goal bonanza goes to Laszlo Kiss of Hungary at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He scored in just 7 minutes against El Salvador where Hungary won 10-1. He is also the only player to score a hat-trick as a substitute in World Cup history.
Cristiano Ronaldo//Getty Images
Other Notable Fast Hat-Tricks
Football has seen many incredible hat-tricks. And although they’re not as notable, some are spectacular and worthy of mention:
Robert Lewandowski (2015): The Pole scored three goals in four minutes for Bayern Munich against Wolfsburg and has many fans of the opinion it is one of the greatest individual displays in Bundesliga history. He went on to score five goals in nine minutes during the same match!
Cristiano Ronaldo (2016): Ronaldo netted a hat-trick in seven minutes for Real Madrid against Espanyol, something one of the greatest of all times is more than capable of. He has made a habit of scoring hat-tricks throughout his career, scoring the most professional career hat-tricks (67) of any footballer to ever exist, and he is still playing today.
Erling Haaland (2023): The big boy from Norway sensationally bagged a rapid hat-trick in four minutes and 33 seconds for Man City against Nottingham Forest.
Joshua Gaillard is a freelance editor and dedicated Arsenal fan, known for creating fact-based, insightful content. His work, featured on top South African websites, blends analysis with engaging storytelling for clear, impactful articles.