If you watch soccer, you will constantly hear commentators say a player “scored a brace” or “completed his hat-trick.” These are two of the sport’s most common goalscoring terms, but if you are newer to the game, they can be confusing, especially the word “brace,” which has an unusual origin. Both refer to a single player scoring multiple goals in one match.
The definitions are simple: a brace means two goals scored by the same player in a match, and a hat-trick means three goals by the same player in a match. There are also some fun variations and traditions attached to the hat-trick in particular, from the “perfect hat-trick” to the custom of the scorer keeping the match ball. Understanding these terms makes following the game, and its statistics, much easier.
The chart below breaks down what a brace and a hat-trick mean, plus the related goalscoring terms and traditions. Take a look, then we’ll go through the details.
Contents
What a brace means
A brace simply means two goals scored by the same player in a single match. If a striker scores in the first half and again in the second, commentators will say they have “scored a brace” or “grabbed a brace.” It is one of the most common phrases in soccer, used constantly to describe a two-goal individual performance, and it applies whether the goals come from open play, headers, or penalties.
The word has an unusual origin that catches many fans off guard. “Brace” is an old hunting term that referred to a pair of animals, particularly game birds, killed by a hunter. Over time, the word, meaning simply “a pair,” was adopted into soccer to describe a player scoring twice. While it is universally understood by fans, it is worth noting that a brace is an informal, popular term rather than an official statistical category.
What a hat-trick means
A hat-trick means three goals scored by the same player in a single match, the next milestone up from a brace, and a much rarer and more celebrated achievement. Scoring a hat-trick is one of the great individual feats in soccer, a sign of a dominant attacking performance, and it is always a major talking point after a game. As with a brace, the three goals can come from any combination of open play, headers, and penalties.
The term “hat-trick” actually comes from cricket, not soccer. In the 19th century, a bowler who took three wickets with three consecutive deliveries was traditionally rewarded with a new hat, and the phrase “hat-trick” stuck for any feat of three. It spread to soccer and many other sports, where today a hat-trick universally means achieving something three times, most commonly scoring three goals.
Types of hat-trick and the traditions
Not all hat-tricks are created equal, and soccer has special names for particular versions. The most prized is the “perfect hat-trick” (sometimes called a flawless hat-trick), in which a player scores their three goals with their left foot, their right foot, and a header, demonstrating complete, all-around finishing ability. It is considered the most stylish and complete way to score three.
The most beloved tradition associated with the feat is that the player who scores a hat-trick gets to keep the match ball as a souvenir, often having it signed by teammates afterward. You will frequently see a hat-trick hero walking off the pitch clutching the ball at full time. These customs add to the sense of occasion around a hat-trick, marking it out as one of the sport’s special individual accomplishments.
The fine print and famous examples
A few details are worth knowing. Goals from penalties do count toward a brace or hat-trick, but own goals scored by opponents do not, only the player’s own goals count toward their tally. There is no single widely used term for scoring four goals (sometimes loosely called a “haul”), though five goals is occasionally referred to as a “glut” or, in betting terms, a “nap hand.” For most purposes, brace and hat-trick are the only terms you need.
Hat-tricks are especially memorable on the biggest stage. Remarkably, in the entire history of the World Cup, only two players have ever scored a hat-trick in the final itself: England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966 and France’s Kylian Mbappe in 2022 (in a final France actually lost on penalties). These rare feats show just how special scoring three goals in a single, high-stakes match truly is.
Final Word
A brace and a hat-trick are two of soccer’s essential goalscoring terms: a brace is two goals by one player in a match, and a hat-trick is three. Both can come from open play, headers, or penalties, and the hat-trick carries fun traditions like the “perfect” version (both feet and a header) and the scorer keeping the match ball.
With “brace” rooted in old hunting language and “hat-trick” borrowed from cricket, these terms carry a surprising amount of history, and knowing them makes following the game far easier. For more on the sport’s scoring feats, see our guide to the World Cup Golden Boot winners by year.