Scoring a brace in a soccer match guarantees at least two goals on the score sheet.

New soccer fans might come across a few terms or abbreviations that are not used in any other sport, like clean sheet, FT, or brace. It can be overwhelming, learning the rules of an unfamiliar sport while also keeping up with a long list of foreign expressions, especially if you have never played or watched soccer before.

Fortunately, the best soccer players of all time are still active for both club and country, giving new viewers the perfect examples of how to dominate a game by scoring a brace or even a hat-trick.

So, what exactly is a brace in soccer?

A brace in soccer is when a player scores two goals in the same match. Anyone who manages to best the goalkeeper twice in 90 minutes records a brace.

Although scoring two goals in one game might not sound like a monumental feat, it is much harder than it sounds, especially against the best opponents in the world. Even superstars like Erling Haaland and Harry Kane do not consistently find the back of the net twice in a single game.

As of 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo has the most braces of any soccer player in history. The Portuguese phenom has netted 224 braces in his career, and will likely increase his total as he continues playing for Al-Nassr.

A hat-trick in soccer is when a player scores three goals in the same game. A forward’s ultimate accomplishment is seeing their name pop up three times on the final score sheet.

Unsurprisingly, the two best players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, have the most and second-most hat-tricks in the 21st century. Ronaldo has 66 hat-tricks across his club and international appearances, and Messi has 57.