This morning, Luis Suárez became the first player to ever net a hat-trick in the FIFA Club World Cup. Suárez more than made up for the absence of his goal-scoring and dream-ruining teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar, scoring all three of Barcelona’s goals in a 3-0 win over Chinese side Guangzhou.
Lucho warned you, Scolari.
Only one other player has ever scored a hat-trick in this international competition, this only if we choose to include stats from the Copa Intercontinental, the now defunct predecessor of the FIFA Club World Cup. That man is Pelé.
Pelé completed his triplete on October 11, 1962 against Eusebio’s Benfica, netting three and assisting one in Santos’ 5-2 victory.