5 players who scored the most hat-tricks in 2022
Scoring a hat-trick and taking home the match ball is every forward's dream as they step onto a football pitch. Finding the back of the net doesn’t come easily in football, therefore scoring thrice in a single game is quite an achievement.
Here's a look at the five players from the top five European leagues who netted the most hat-tricks in 2022.
#5 Eldor Shomurodov - AS Roma
Eldor Shomurodov is a surprising name on this list, as he is not amongst the most high-profile players in world football. The Uzbekistan international scored two hat-tricks last year.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Heung-Min Son, and Ivan Toney, amongst others, also scored two hat-tricks in 2022, but Shomurodov ranks above them since he achieved the feat in fewer appearances (35).
The 27-year-old is the captain of Uzbekistan's national football team and one of Jose Mourinho's attacking options at AS Roma.
His hat-tricks did not come at club level, but on the international stage. He scored his first of the year in a 4-2 international friendly victory over Uganda. The second came in a 4-0 win over Maldives in the Asian cup qualifiers.
The Uzbek forward has had a slow start to the current campaign, featuring just eight times and scoring once across competitions for Roma.
#4 Victor Osimhen - Napoli
The Nigerian forward is one of the most highly rated strikers in Europe at the moment. Victor Osimhen is Napoli's leading goalscorer this term with 10 goals and three assists in 15 games in all competitions.
The tall, energetic, and dominating forward scored a hat-trick and a four-goal haul last year.
https://t.co/8RCU2cKDJN
He scored four goals in Nigeria's 10-0 thumping of Sao Tome and Pricipe in an African Cup of Nations Qualifier in June. He also netted three goals in Napoli's 4-0 win over Sassuolo in October.
#3 Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich / Barcelona
Robert Lewandowski is one of the most prolific and clinical strikers in football. The Polish forward has a knack for scoring goals and once scored five goals in just nine minutes in the Bundesliga.
The two-time European Golden Boot winner represented two clubs in 2022, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
@lewy_official 
💥 @lewy_official 💥 https://t.co/C4QxSrxDuv
Lewandowski netted three hat-tricks during the period under review. While at Bayern Munich, he scored thrice against FC Cologne and RB Salzburg in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League, respectively. He also scored three goals in his Champions league debut for Barcelona against Viktoria Plzen.
The 34-year-old currently has 18 goals and four assists in 20 appearances across competitions this campaign.
#2 Erling Haaland - Borussia Dortmund / Manchester City
It's not surprising to see Erling Haaland on the list based on his terrific goal-scoring record. The 22-year-old registered 46 goals in 43 games, the second-most goals by any player in Europe in 2022.
His goals in 2022 were registered for both Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City. His first hat-trick of the year was in the Bundesliga versus VfL Bochum. He also bagged successive hat-tricks in the English Premier League against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, and another against Manchester United.
Haaland has been incredible for the Cityzens this term with 27 goals and three assists in 22 games so far.
#1 Kylian Mbappe - Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
France and PSG forward Kylian Mbappe is the player with the most hat-tricks in 2022. Mbappe bagged five hat-tricks for both club and country during the year under review.
The 24-year-old is one of the most prolific goalscorers in football at the moment. He netted 56 goals in 56 appearances, the most by any player in 2022.
Mbappe netted three hat-tricks in Ligue 1 and one in the Coupe de France. His last of the year came in the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup against eventual winners Argentina.