Jean-Philippe Mateta pulled out all the stops this Saturday. Hat-trick against Bournemouth, final score 3-3. A feat which allowed Crystal Palace to avoid defeat, with an equalizer snatched in stoppage time. His second hat-trick in the Premier League after that scored against Aston Villa in May 2024. A rare performance, which places him in a very exclusive club. Only three French people have scored at least two hat-tricks in the English championship: Thierry Henry (8), Nicolas Anelka (3), and now Mateta (2). But what is intriguing is a statistic that is as strange as it is amusing: all French people who have scored at least two hat-tricks in a major foreign championship have participated in at least one World Cup.
XXL performance at the right time
Statistics has the merit of existing. And she asks a fun question: will Mateta be at the 2026 World Cup? The Crystal Palace striker has just celebrated his first cap at the last rally, even scoring a goal against Iceland. Didier Deschamps is starting to count on him to help out in attack. With this new hat-trick, Mateta sends a clear message: he is in good shape, he scores, he assumes his role.
Mateta's hat-trick saved Crystal Palace. Trailing 3-2, the London club seemed doomed until the Frenchman appeared in added time to snatch a draw. Three goals scored in the space of 43 minutes: in the 64th, in the 69th, then in the 90+7. A demonstration of efficiency and composure in hot moments. With this hat-trick, Mateta now scores more hat-tricks alone (2) than all other players in Crystal Palace's Premier League history combined (1). A personal best which testifies to his rise in power.
Mateta, a scorer who confirms
Mateta is no longer a surprise. He confirms game after game that he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. His performances this season allow him to stay on Deschamps' radar, while competition is fierce in attack among the Blues. Marcus Thuram, Randal Kolo Muani, Ousmane Dembélé: the list is long. But Mateta has a strong argument: he scores at club, regularly, in a demanding championship.
So, Mateta at the 2026 World Cup? On paper, nothing is certain. But this amusing statistic on French triplets at least has the merit of asking the question. And if the attacker continues this way, Deschamps may have no choice but to take him to North America. It's the game of football: sometimes the craziest stats end up being true.
