CORNERFLICK
Cristiano Ronaldo has reached 68 career hat-tricks after scoring three against Al Khlood, according to a published graphic. That keeps him ahead of Lionel Messi on the same comparison.
Ronaldo extends his tally
The 41-year-old Al Nassr forward has built his total across spells with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr and Portugal. His time at Real Madrid did much of the work, and his goals in Saudi Arabia have taken the tally higher.
Messi remains the closest rival
Messi is listed on 62 hat-tricks across Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina. The Argentine's scoring record has followed a different path, and he remains the nearest challenger in this count.
The figure is not fixed across all databases. Some statistical sites list Ronaldo on 66 hat-tricks, while others put him on 68, so the final number depends on how the matches are counted and verified.