Cristiano Ronaldo smashes 60th career hat-trick: Decoding the stats
Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored his second hat-trick in three Premier League games to boost his club's hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League. Manchester United beat relegation-threatened Norwich City at Old Trafford in an entertaining 3-2 affair. Ronaldo went on to net his 60th career hat-trick, including 50 at club level. Here we decode the key stats.
How did the match pan out?
David de Gea denied Teemu Pukki early on before Ronaldo opened the scoring in the seventh minute. The Portuguese star netted his second in the 32nd minute to put his side in control. However, poor defending from the hosts in either halves allowed Norwich to equalize through Kieran Dowell and Pukki. Ronaldo scored from a free-kick home off the inside of a post next.
Why does this story matter?
Ronaldo has been a champion performer throughout his career and this performance was a testament to why he remains prolific even at 37. Ronaldo has shown no signs of slowing down and this was another massive show to help his side earn three crucial points. CR7 continues to break records and his numbers are staggering. To smash 60 hat-tricks is a monumental feat.
20-plus goals for the 16th successive season
Ronaldo is now the joint-third highest scorer in the Premier League this season with 15 goals alongside Diogo Jota. He is only behind Mohamed Salah (20) and Son Heung-min (17). This season, Ronaldo has hammered 21 goals in all competitions for United (34 games). He has scored 20-plus goals now for the 16th successive season.
60 hat-tricks for Ronaldo
Ronaldo has scored the 60th hat-trick of his professional career for club and country. This was also his 50th at club level. His 50 club hat-tricks have come for Manchester United (3), Real Madrid (44), and Juventus (3). He also has 10 hat-tricks for national side Portugal. As per Opta, Ronaldo's direct free-kick goal was the 58th of his career.
Unique records for Ronaldo
As per Opta, Ronaldo is 17 years and 81 days older than Anthony Elanga, who assisted his first goal versus Norwich. This is the most a Man United goal-scorer has been older than the player who assisted him in their Premier League history. As per William Hill, Ronaldo netted his 12th Premier League hat-trick for United equaling Thierry Henry and Gianfranco Zola (12 each).
Ronaldo races to 99 Premier League goals
In 222 Premier League appearances, Ronaldo has raced to 99 goals, besides contributing with 37 assists. This is the fourth season in which he has netted 15-plus goals. He has 18 goal involvements in the 2021-22 season (G15 A3). Ronaldo has 139 goals for Man United in his career. He had scored 450 for Real and 101 for Juventus.
Other unique records for CR7
Ronaldo has become the first player aged 36 or over to score 15+ goals in a single Premier League season. He is also the oldest hat-trick scorer in PL history, surpassing his own record. Ronaldo scored his 15th hat-trick after turning 30-plus years of age.
