Super Eagles star outshines Messi with hattrick

On a bustling Wednesday evening (Thursday midnight WAT), across Major League Soccer, multiple fixtures kicked off simultaneously, including Lionel Messi taking the pitch for Inter Miami. Yet, by the end of the night, it was Nigeria international Alhassan Yusuf who unequivocally owned the headlines.

The deeper-lying midfielder transformed into an elite box-crashing forward, delivering a sensational hat-trick to lead the New England Revolution to a commanding 3-0 victory over D.C. United at Audi Field. 

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While Messi managed to score in a concurrent draw against the Philadelphia Union, Yusuf's hat trick stole the league-wide spotlight, propelling his team up the standings and snapping a frustrating three-game winless skid. 

The victory improved New England’s regular-season record to 10-7-3 (33 points) and moved them up to fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Although traditionally tasked with anchoring the midfield, Yusuf demonstrated remarkable attacking instincts, consistently finding space in the penalty area to get on the end of two precise deliveries from newly acquired Designated Player Jack Harrison, after flicking on Peyton Miller's header for the opener. 

Yusuf opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. After 18-year-old Miller headed Harrison's cross back across the face of the goal, the former Royal Antwerp star slammed home a powerful header. 

Right before halftime, he struck again in the 45th minute, tapping in a point-blank volley off a perfectly placed ball from the left wing. He completed his Man of the Match performance in the 66th minute, redirecting another Harrison cross into the net to make it 3-0 and seal his hat-trick.

The tally etched Yusuf's name into the club's record books. He became just the eighth player in New England Revolution franchise history to record a regular-season hat-trick and the first to achieve the feat since Kei Kamara did so on September 2, 2017. With five goals and two assists so far this year, Yusuf has already set a new career-high for a single season.

While the offensive outburst shocked some D.C. United defenders, it was not entirely unprecedented for the 26-year-old. Yusuf has recently shown a growing penchant for crucial goals on the international stage.

Earlier this year, he was the standout star for the Super Eagles in the 2026 Unity Cup final. Playing against the Jamaican National Team in London on May 30, 2026, Yusuf scored a brilliant brace, finding the back of the net in the 3rd and 91st minutes. 

His opening goal and stoppage-time sealer powered Nigeria to a 3-0 victory, helping Eric Chelle’s side successfully defend their title and claim their fourth overall Unity Cup championship.