Before the international break, Nigerian starlet Gift Orban grabbed the headlines after scoring the fastest hat-trick in UEFA Europa Conference League history against Istanbul Basaksehir for K.A.A. Gent.
It only took just three minutes for the 20-year-old to complete a treble that blew Turkish opponents Basaksehir out of the last 16 tie.
Orban joined a renowned list of players who hold the record for scoring the fastest hat tricks in each of Europe’s major competitions.
Bolanews now examines the list of football stars that have scored the fastest hat-tricks on the biggest stage.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: MOHAMED SALAH
It’s no surprise that the Egyptian King holds the record for the fastest treble in Europe’s biggest club competition.
The pacy winger bears the reputation of terrifying defenses across the continent. And Rangers FC’s defense was no exception.
The former Chelsea man was introduced as a 68th-minute substitute in a Champions League group encounter at the Ibrox stadium. It only took him seven minutes to get on the scoreboard, firing from a tight angle.
Five minutes later, Mo Salah fashioned an audacious chipped goal to get his second on the night. The Rangers defense was at the mercy of the Egyptian again after his curled effort left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot.
The Liverpool legend’s six-minute hat-trick was the fastest ever in the competition’s history.
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE: PATSON DAKA
Zambian center forward Patson Daka etched his name into the history books after starring in Leicester City’s 4-3 win at Spartak Moscow in 2021.
The English outfit were trailing 2-0 against Spartak Moscow before Daka decided to take matters into his own hands. The 2017 African Young Player of the Year grabbed a lifeline on the stroke of halftime.
The halftime break did not seem to slow down the Zambian as his left-footed strike drew parity on 48 minutes. Six minutes later, Daka was not going to be denied history when he completed the quickest hat-trick in UEFA Europa League history. It only took the goal-poacher nine minutes to score three goals.
As if earning a match ball wasn’t enough, the striker propounded Spartak Moscow’s humiliation by adding a fourth.
UEFA EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE: GIFT ORBAN
Gift Orban was the latest addition to the list of hat-trick heroes after his masterclass against Istanbul Basaksehir on Wednesday.
Hyunseok Hong set up the Nigerian forward for Gent’s opening goal just after the half-hour mark. A few seconds later, Orban was on hand to score another, which doubled the aggregate lead for the Belgian side.
The 20-year-old left the Turkish outfit’s defense for dead when he fired his third goal of the match in just three minutes. This was the quickest hat-trick in the history of the UEFA Europa Conference League or indeed the two European competitions above it.
It’s also quite impressive that the record holders in Europe’s three major competitions, Salah, Daka, and Orban, are all from the African continent.
PREMIER LEAGUE: SADIO MANE
In Europe’s highest-ranked domestic league, Sadio Mane holds the record for the fastest hat-trick. Astonishingly, the feat was not achieved in Liverpool colors but at Southampton.
Aston Villa were on the receiving end of the historic treble in the Saints’ last home game of the 2014-15 Premier League season.
The Senegalese striker put Southampton in the lead on 13 minutes after the ball fell into his path for a comfortable tap-in. A minute later, Sadio Mane pounced on a loose ball to double the lead after a fifty-fifty tussle in the box.
The tricky winger completed his hat-trick on 16 minutes after powering his effort past the Aston Villa goalkeeper. His record of scoring three Premier League goals in only three minutes was the start of something special for the Senegalese.
LA LIGA: KÉVIN GAMEIRO
The Spanish top flight has housed football icons like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the past. But neither of the two was able to break the record for the fastest hat-trick in La Liga despite having plenty of them.
That record is credited to Frenchman Kévin Gameiro, who starred in Atlético Madrid’s 4-1 annihilation of Sporting Gijón in 2017. The center forward came on as a substitute for Ángel Correa in the 62nd minute.
Gameiro established a lead for the Rojiblancos after being sent through on goal by Antoine Griezmann. A ferocious right-footed strike from the French striker made it 3-1 to Atlético a minute later.
Compatriot Antoine Griezmann sent Kévin Gameiro on his way again, and the latter calmly slotted in his third on 85 minutes. This became the fastest hat-trick in the modern history of the Spanish top flight at five minutes.
SERIE A: KEITA BALDÉ
Keita Balde emulated his countryman Sadio Mané in 2017 when he set a hat-trick record of his own in Italy.
Palermo F.C. fell victim to the Senegalese’s treble, which condemned them to a 6-2 defeat against Lazio. Baldé showed a magnificent amount of composure to score Lazio’s third goal of the day on 21 minutes.
Three minutes later, he was handed the responsibility of taking a spot kick after being fouled, and he did not disappoint. The Lion of Teranga was celebrating his hat-trick two minutes later after scooping the ball over Parlemo’s shot-stopper.
His five-minute hat-trick was the fastest in the modern history of Serie A.
BUNDESLIGA: ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI
You cannot mention the Bundesliga without the name Robert Lewandowski popping up. The Polish center-forward shocked the football world when he scored five goals in only nine minutes against Wolfsburg in 2015.
After falling behind to Wolfsburg, Pep Guardiola decided to unleash his trump card when he substituted in Robert Lewandowski. The Polé grabbed an equalizer in the 51st minute, fired Bayern Munich ahead in the 52nd, and doubled the lead in the 55th minute.
That secured him a Guinness World Record for the fastest hat-trick in Bundesliga history at four minutes. Lewandowski was not yet done with his obliteration of Wolfsburg, eventually scoring a pair of volleys five minutes later.
It’s quite unimaginable that someone would break that record anytime soon.
LIGUE 1: LOÏS OPENDA
Loïs Openda is the newest addition to the exclusive list of players to score the fastest hat-tricks in each of Europe’s five main leagues.
The Belgian-born striker was too good to handle for Clermont Foot in a Ligue 1 encounter on Sunday.
READ MORE: Pep Guardiola explains why Haaland is now on the same level as Messi and Ronaldo
Openda, whose parents are both of African descent, scored his first goal from a very narrow angle in 30 minutes. The 23-year-old then forced an error from Clermont’s defense before getting his second.
The forward’s name was heading for the history books when he converted his third goal in only five minutes for RC Lens. That smashed the previous record from 2005 for the fastest hat-trick in Ligue 1 history.
