Lionel Messi scores another hat-trick: How many more does he need to tie Cristiano Ronaldo?

In less than a week, Lionel Messi has delivered two stunning performances, scoring hat-tricks for both Argentina and Inter Miami in his last two games. These displays bring him closer to Cristiano Ronaldo’s career total of hat-tricks.

Messi has now scored 59 hat-tricks, seven shy of Ronaldo’s 66. His latest, against Bolivia, also matched Ronaldo’s record of 10 international hat-tricks. However, Ronaldo still leads in club hat-tricks with 56, while Messi has 49.

Notably, Messi’s hat-trick against New England came after coming off the bench—something Ronaldo has never done. Messi made an instant impact, assisting Benjamin Cremaschi just 10 seconds after entering the match and then netting three goals in 11 minutes.

Interestingly, Messi hadn’t scored a hat-trick in over a year before these two recent games. His last came in March 2023, during Argentina‘s 7-0 win over Curacao in a friendly.

Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami celebrates with Jordi Alba #18 after scoring his second goal during the second half against the New England Revolution (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia has seen him score six hat-tricks for Al Nassr, showcasing his enduring form. His most recent came against Al-Wehda on May 4th, 2024, in the Saudi Pro League.

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Video: Lionel Messi scores hat-trick and leads Inter Miami to a 6-2 victory over New England

Messi and Ronaldo tied for Champions League hat-tricks

In the ongoing debate over who is the greater player, Champions League performances are often highlighted. On Europe’s biggest stage, both Messi and Ronaldo have delivered, and they remain tied with eight hat-tricks each in the competition.

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Messi clarifies Inter Miami ambitions as David Beckham makes big statement on Argentine star

Messi’s standout performances include a four-goal haul against Arsenal in 2010 and five goals against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012. Ronaldo’s best came in 2015 when he netted four goals against Malmo.

Messi becomes Inter Miami’s all-time top scorer

During the match against New England, Messi achieve another milestone. With 33 goals, he surpassed teammate Leonardo Campana (32) to become Inter Miami’s all-time leading scorer.