Who has scored more hat-tricks in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to show that age is only a number after scoring a hat-trick in Al Nassr’s 8-0 Saudi Pro League trashing of Abha on Tuesday. The Portugal captain only played the first half but was involved in all five goals as his team went in 5-0 ahead at half-time.

Had Ronaldo ever scored back-to-back hat-tricks before?

The Portugal captain has now scored 36 goals in 35 games for Al Nassr this season, which includes trebles in his last two matches. After a three-goal haul in the 5-1 win over Al Tai on Saturday, the 39-year-old netted another three times in just over half-an-hour against Abha.

While he had previously scored back-to-back hat-tricks in Champions League matches and trebles in two home games in a row, he had never before netted hat-tricks in consecutive fixtures.

How many hat-tricks has Ronaldo scored? How often does he score one?

The former Real Madrid star has now scored an incredible 65 hat-tricks in his career, which include 55 at club level and 10 for Portugal. That works out at an average of one hat-trick every 18.7 matches over 22 years.

As impressive as that last statistic is, there is one current player who just has the better of him…for now, at least.

How many hat-tricks has Lionel Messi scored? How often does he score one?

That man is, of course, Lionel Messi, who has scored 57 hat-tricks for club and country since making his senior debut.

The Argentine is almost two and a half years younger than his eternal rival and has played around 160 career games fewer as a result, with his hat-trick rate coming in at one every 18.5 games.

The Inter Miami playmaker has slowed down considerably in the hat-trick stakes in recent seasons, however, scoring “only” four since the beginning of 2020 (for contest, Messi bagged nine in 2012 alone, and six in 2010, 2011 and 2016).

In that time, Ronaldo has scored nine trebles, which also happens to be his record for most in a year (in 2011).