Champions League: Neymar Sets Record, Becomes Seventh Player to Net Three Hat-Tricks
Neymar made Champions League history on Wednesday night as he scored three goals in Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-1 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir.
The Brazilian scored three times in the first 50 minutes, with Kylian Mbappe grabbing the other two in the comfortable win, which saw PSG top Group H ahead of RB Leipzig.
The match resumed in the 14th minute after originally kicking off on Tuesday night, but all players walking off the pitch after the fourth official was accused of using racist language towards Basaksehir assistant Pierre Webo.
The game will be remembered for the solidarity of the players in that moment, but it was also a night of personal success for Neymar on Wednesday in Paris.
The 28-year-old became the first player to reach 20 Champions League goals for two different clubs, taking his tally to 41 – 20 for PSG, having scored 21 times for Barcelona in the competition.
His 41 goals puts him joint 16th in the list of all-time top-scorers in the Champions League and European Cup, level with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero. He also joins just six other men who have netted three or more Champions League hat-tricks, alongside some great names of modern European football.
As with many statistics, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are leading the way as each man has eight Champions League hat-tricks. The rest in this exclusive club have three and now Neymar sits alongside Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gomez, Filippo Inzaghi and Luiz Adriano on that list.
Neymar’s contract in Paris runs until 2022, as does Mbappe, but both Neymar and the club have spoken about extending it beyond that date. ‘We have begun to talk with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the discussions will remain confidential but I am very confident,’ club president Nasser al-Khelaifi told RMC on Wednesday. ‘They both want to stay with us at PSG.’
Neymar said of the situation: ‘I am very happy here in Paris. I am very happy at the club, with my teammates. ‘The idea of leaving does not cross my mind. We need to talk. We have a very good relationship, I am very happy at Paris Saint-Germain.’
