Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari etched his name into World Cup history on Wednesday night after becoming the first African player since Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan in 2010 to score a hat-trick of goals in a single tournament.
The 25-year-old achieved the milestone after finding the net in Morocco’s 4-2 victory over Haiti at the Atlanta Stadium in the 2026 World Cup.
Saibari, who had previously scored against Scotland and Brazil, now has three goals in the competition.
His strike against Haiti also saw him become the first African player ever to score in all three group-stage matches of a World Cup, according to OptaJoe.
The PSV Eindhoven midfielder has played a key role in Morocco’s strong group-stage showing as they advanced to the Round of 32.
Morocco finished second in Group C with seven points from three matches, level on points with group leaders Brazil but behind on standings.
