Did you know that Bert Patenaude made soccer history by scoring the first hat trick in FIFA World Cup history? In the 1930 World Cup, Patenaude netted all three goals for the United States in a 3–0 victory over Paraguay, becoming the first player ever to score three goals in a single World Cup match. The pride of Fall River!
Patenaude played in all three matches for the U.S. at that inaugural World Cup, also scoring in the Americans’ opening win over Belgium.
At the club level, Patenaude was one of the most prolific goal scorers of his era. He starred for successful teams in Fall River, Philadelphia, and St. Louis, helping the Fall River Marksmen capture the remarkable American Soccer League–U.S. Open Cup–Lewis Cup treble in 1930.
One of his greatest performances came on April 5, 1931, when he scored five goals in a 6–2 victory over the Chicago Bricklayers in the first leg of the U.S. Open Cup Final. Fall River went on to win the championship.
His trophy haul included four U.S. Open Cup titles:
- 1930 & 1931 – Fall River Marksmen
- 1934 – St. Louis Stix, Baer & Fuller
- 1935 – St. Louis Central Breweries
He also won the 1933 National Amateur Cup with the Philadelphia German-Americans.
Patenaude’s scoring feats were legendary. Beyond his World Cup hat trick, he recorded multiple five-goal games and even scored four goals in just 15 minutes during a 1934 U.S. Open Cup match.
A true trailblazer of American soccer, Bert Patenaude’s accomplishments deserve to be remembered among the game’s greatest early stars
