<P> This is a list of all hat - tricks scored during FIFA World Cups; that is, the occasions when a footballer has scored three or more goals in a single football World Cup match (not including FIFA World Cup qualification matches). Scoring a hat - trick in a World Cup is a relatively rare event: only 51 hat - tricks have been scored in over 800 matches in the 21 editions of the World Cup tournament . As FIFA is the governing body of football, official hat - tricks are only noted when FIFA recognises that at least three goals were scored by one player in one match . </P> <P> The first hat - trick was scored by Bert Patenaude of the United States, playing against Paraguay in 1930; the most recent was by Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, playing against Spain in 2018 . </P> <P> The only World Cup not to have at least one hat - trick scored was the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany . The record number of hat - tricks in a single World Cup tournament is eight, during the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland . </P>

First player to score hat trick in world cup final