How many hat tricks have there been in Euros history?
The Summer of Stars is here, with the 2024 UEFA European Championship underway on the FOX family of networks and the FOX Sports app. The tournament began in 1960, yet there have only been eight hat tricks by seven different players ever recorded in that span.
Those seven players have come from five different nations, with Germany and Netherlands having two players each.
FOX Sports Research examined each instance in order to give you a better understanding of the rich history of soccer this tournament has provided for nearly 65 years.
Let's take a look.
Every hat trick in Euros history
1. Dieter Müller
- The first player ever to record a hat trick at the Euros (1976), Dieter Müller is one of two players to record one in a knockout stage — and is the only one to have done so in the semifinals (against Yugoslavia). In fact, that’s the latest round in which a hat trick has occurred at the Euros, with no one ever recording one in the final.
- Müller led the tournament in scoring that year with four goals, and spearheaded Germany to a runner-up finish against Czechoslovakia in the final.
2. Klaus Allofs
- In the following Euros tournament (1980), Klaus Allofs became the second player as well as the second German ever to record a hat trick in the Euros — doing so in the group stage against Italy.
- Unlike Müller, Allofs was able to hoist the trophy at the conclusion of the tournament, helping Germany defeat Belgium in the final. He also led the tournament in scoring.
3. Michel Platini (twice)
- Platini's performance in the 1984 Euros might be the greatest in the competitions' history. The three-time Ballon d'Or winner scored a single-tournament record nine goals, leading host France to the their first Euro title ever.
- In that tournament run, he recorded two hat tricks, and is still the only player in Euros history to have more than one career hat trick. Both occurred in the group stage, with the first one coming against Belgium and the second came against Yugoslavia.
4. Marco van Basten
- Marco van Basten is a three-time Ballon d’Or winner, and earned his first one largely in part due to his stellar performance at the 1988 Euros. He became the fourth player in tournament history to record a hat trick, doing so against England in the group stage.
- Netherlands would go on to win the Euros behind his five goals, which led all players in the tournament. It is still the only major tournament that the Netherlands has won.
5. Sérgio Conceição
- The only Portuguese player on the list, Sérgio Conceição recorded the sixth hat trick in Euros history in 2000 against Germany in the group stage.
- Those were the only goals he scored in the tournament, but they were pivotal in helping Portugal win their group. They made it all the way to the semifinals before losing to France.
6. Patrick Kluivert
- The last hat trick of the 20th century came by another Dutchman, five days after Conceição’s. Patrick Kluivert put up three goals in a 30-minute span in a 6-1 victory over Yugoslavia in the group stage.
- He finished tied for the tournament lead with five goals, and was the only Dutch player to convert in a penalty shootout loss to Italy in the semifinals.