Most goals by one player in a World Cup match

Hat-tricks are rare at the World Cup. Five goals in one match is almost unthinkable — but it happened.

Russia's Oleg Salenko scored five against Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup, the only player ever to do so in a single tournament match. Remarkably, Russia still didn't advance from the group.

It's proof that individual brilliance doesn't always translate to a team's progress — which is exactly what makes calling the knockout bracket so tricky.