April 2, 1916. The great Santiago Bernabeu wheels away in celebration after securing a hat-trick and firing Real Madrid to a 4-1 win over Barcelona.<\/strong><\/p>\n Just 11 days after that feat, the two sides played out a ludicrous 6-6 draw which featured no fewer than three hat-tricks, including yet another from Bernabeu himself. A\u00a0get-a-stadium-named-after-you<\/em>\u00a0achievement if ever there was one.<\/p>\n In total, 24 players have contributed to 28 hat-tricks in El Clasico, with five of those coming in the 21st century. Of those five, which takes the cake?<\/p>\n Messi racked up the hat-tricks \/ Denis Doyle\/GettyImages<\/p>\n Lionel Messi\u2018s first goal in this 4-3 win at the Bernabeu was lovely, but the second and third goals were both penalties after Madrid had seen Sergio Ramos sent off. How can this be anywhere other than fifth?<\/p>\n To give Messi his flowers, this was the second game in a row in which he\u2019d scored a hat-trick, and it was also the match in which he became the leading scorer in Clasico history. Fair play.<\/p>\n Still, two penalties.\u00a0Boring<\/em>.<\/p>\n \nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=uN2FucNynCM%3Ffeature%3Doembed\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Madrid\u00a0dumped Barcelona out of the Copa del Rey with a stunning 4-0 win away at Camp Nou in April 2023, with Karim Benzema running the show this time.<\/p>\n If we\u2019re being honest, the goals in this one aren\u2019t great either. He opened the scoring with a scrappy tap-in and, after a solid finish for his second, finished the fun off with a penalty.<\/p>\n However, to dominate this fixture, on the turf of the ultimate enemy, is nothing to take lightly. Benzema was simply far too good for Barcelona here.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf9 RESUMEN & GOLES \ud83d\udcf9 What\u2019s the only way you can raise the tension of a Clasico? By making that Clasico a cup final.<\/p>\n Vinicius Junior and Madrid put\u00a0Barcelona\u00a0to the sword in the Supercopa de Espana final in January 2024, completely embarrassing Xavi\u2019s side with a 4-1 victory \u2013 a brutal reminder of the current gulf in quality between the two teams.<\/p>\n While Vinicius\u2019 goals weren\u2019t overflowing with quality, they did all come in the first half. Ruthless efficiency on the grandest stage.<\/p>\n 1\u20e3,2\u20e3,3\u20e3\u2026 \ud83d\udca5 The 2018\/19 season got off to a disastrous start for Madrid under Julen Lopetegui and Barcelona took real pleasure from trampling their rivals further into the dirt when they met at Camp Nou in October with a 5-1 win.<\/p>\n This was just complete dominance from Barcelona, who were led by a hat-trick from Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan\u2019s first was a penalty for 2-0, but a stunning header and a lovely chip soon raised the excitement. Suarez could have even had a fourth but struck the post with an acrobatic volley.<\/p>\n True class from Suarez, who can only be denied first place by something truly special.<\/p>\n \u2b50 The day a LEGEND was born \u2b50#OnThisDay<\/a>\u00a011 years ago, a 19 year-old Leo Messi scored this stunning\u00a0#ElClasico<\/a>\u00a0hat-trick vs Real Madrid!\u00a0#LaLigaHistory<\/a>\u00a0pic.twitter.com\/zKB454XPno<\/a>\u2014 LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN)\u00a0March 10, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n You can trace the origins of Messi\u2019s quest to become the greatest player in history all the way back to this hat-trick at Camp Nou in March 2007. When the game kicked off, he was little more than an intriguing young talent, but by full time, life as we knew it had changed forever.<\/p>\n Shifting out to the right wing after an uncomfortable stretch at striker, Messi was the hero of the day here, grabbing no fewer than three equalisers, including a wonderful solo goal in the 91st minute to secure a 3-3 draw.<\/p>\n This game made Messi, whose strikes were all full of a typically unstoppable technical grace.<\/p>\n And to think, the only reason Messi was playing out wide was Ludovic Giuly had got himself suspended for a ridiculously harsh red card in a clash with future Barca player Dani Alves. We have referee Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez to thank for Messi\u2019s entire career.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div>\n
\n5.\u00a0Lionel Messi (23\/3\/14)<\/h2>\n
![\"Lionel](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/01hm6vcvemj4by956dnm.jpg\" "\\"Lionel")
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\n4.\u00a0Karim Benzema (5\/4\/23)<\/h2>\n
\n3.\u00a0Vinicius Junior (14\/1\/24)<\/h2>\n
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\ud83c\udd9a\u00a0@RealMadrid<\/a>\u00a04-1\u00a0@FCBarcelona_es<\/a>
\ud83c\udfc6\u00a0#SUPERCAMPEONES<\/a>\u00a0pic.twitter.com\/hduR5dPekC<\/a>\u2014 Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid)\u00a0January 14, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n2.\u00a0Luis Suarez (28\/10\/18)<\/h2>\n
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@LuisSuarez9<\/a>\u00a0\u26bd\u26bd\u26bd\ud83c\udfa9\u00a0pic.twitter.com\/OcMWO5Djkv<\/a>\u2014 FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)\u00a0October 28, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n1.\u00a0Lionel Messi (10\/3\/07)<\/h2>\n
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