Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde wrote a historic page in the UEFA Champions League by scoring three goals in the first half against Manchester City, an extremely rare record when it comes to facing English teams.

Only two players in Champions League history have scored a first half hat-trick against an English opponent:

Lionel Messi 🆚 Arsenal in 2010
Federico Valverde 🆚 Man City in 2026 pic.twitter.com/caAlRURGbc

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 11, 2026

With his performance, the Real Madrid player became only the second footballer in the entire history of the tournament to score a hat-trick in the first half against an English opponent.

A very exclusive club in the Champions League

Until now, the only player to have achieved something similar was Lionel Messi.

The Argentine star scored three goals in the first half against Arsenal in 2010, during a memorable match with FC Barcelona in the Champions League.

Since then, no other footballer had repeated such a performance against an English club... until Valverde's explosive first half against Manchester City.

A record that underlines the difficulty

The brand is particularly valuable given the historical strength of Premier League teams in European competitions.

Scoring three goals in just 45 minutes against English rivals is a rare feat due to the physical and tactical level that these clubs usually present in the Champions League.

Valverde's record places him on an extremely select list, sharing statistics with one of the greatest players of all time.

Valverde continues to expand his impact

Beyond his usual role as a box-to-box midfielder, Valverde has shown on several occasions his ability to appear in the opponent's area and define important matches.

His performance against Manchester City will not only go down as a memorable night for Real Madrid, but also as one of the most curious statistical milestones in recent Champions League history.