Who doesn’t love to score or see a hattrick? Frenchman and the Ousmane Dembele recently entered the record books at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by scoring a rapid hat-trick against Norway in the group stage. The French winger scored three times in a span of just 25 minutes, securing France’s victory and placing himself among the fastest hat-trick scorers in tournament history.
As we enter the exciting round of 32 stage, let’s have a look at the fastest hattrick scorers in the history of FIFA World Cup.
1. Laszlo Kiss (Hungary): 7 minutes (1982)
The fastest hattrick record belongs to Hungary’s Laszlo Kiss who achieved a unique feat against El Salvador during the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Coming off the bench as a substitute, Kiss struck his three goals in the 69th, 72nd, and 76th minutes. It remains the only World Cup hat-trick scored by a substitute and the fastest ever witnessed on the world stage.
2. Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina): 10 minutes (1998)
Known as “Batigol,” the legendary Argentine striker tore Jamaica apart in the 1998 tournament in France. Batistuta scored his three goals within a frantic 10-minute window in the second half, hitting the net in the 73rd, 78th, and 83rd minutes to wrap up a dominant 5-0 win.
3. Gustav Wetterstrom (Sweden): 12 minutes (1938)
Going back to the early days of the tournament, Sweden’s Gustav Wetterstrom dismantled Cuba during an 8-0 quarter-final thrashing in 1938. His clinical finishing saw him hit three goals in just 12 minutes during the first half, completely putting the match out of Cuba’s reach before halftime.
4. Gerd Muller (West Germany) & Andrzej Szarmach (Poland): 20 minutes (1970 & 1974)
Two legendary marksmen share this spot. West Germany’s iconic goalscorer Gerd Muller needed only 20 second-half minutes to hit a hat-trick against Peru in 1970. Four years later, Poland’s Andrzej Szarmach matching that speed, netting three times in 20 minutes during a 7-0 victory against Haiti in 1974.
5. Edmund Conen (Germany): 21 minutes (1934)
In the second-ever World Cup hosted by Italy, Germany’s Edmund Conen wrote his name into the history books against Belgium. With the match tied, Conen struck Germany’s third, fourth, and fifth goals in a blistering 21-minute span in the second half to secure a 5-2 win.
6. Pele (Brazil): 23 minutes (1958)
A 17-year-old Pele announced himself to the world during the 1958 semi-final against France. The teenage phenom blew the French defense away in the second half, scoring three goals in 23 minutes to power Brazil into the final, where they ultimately lifted the trophy.
7. Ousmane Dembele (France) & Gary Lineker (England): 25 minutes (2026 & 1986)
Ousmane Dembele is the newest addition to this list after his sensational first-half performance against Norway at the 2026 World Cup. He scored in the 7th, 20th, and 32nd minutes. This tied him with England’s Gary Lineker, who also scored a 25-minute first-half hat-trick against Poland back in 1986 to save England’s tournament run.
