PSG Prodigy Makes History Alongside Messi, Lewandowski, and Haaland in Elite Achievement

Paris Saint-Germain's midfield star João Neves entered an exclusive group on Saturday following his remarkable hat-trick performance in a thrilling 6–3 triumph against Toulouse in Ligue 1.

Following narrow 1–0 victories against Nantes and Angers to begin their championship defense, PSG delivered an offensive showcase that better reflected their extraordinary abilities in this nine-goal spectacle with Toulouse, preserving their flawless season opening.

Bradley Barcola netted PSG's second goal of the night while Ousmane Dembélé converted two penalties in the commanding win, yet it was Neves who captured all attention with his breathtaking performance.

The Portuguese star delivered not just one but two bicycle kicks within the first 14 minutes as PSG surged to a three-goal advantage, twice sending the ball past Guillaume Restes while facing away from goal. He sealed his treble in the 78th minute with a thunderous strike from 25 yards that found the top corner.

This remarkable trio of goals naturally earned him the Player of the Match recognition, and an even more prestigious honor followed as French publication L'Equipe awarded him a flawless 10 rating.

João Neves Enters Elite Company Alongside Lionel Messi

L'Equipe is renowned for their stringent player evaluations and seldom awards maximum scores. Indeed, by earning a 10 rating, Neves becomes just the 18th different player to receive this distinction in the publication's entire history.

This marks the 20th instance of such excellence, with Neves now standing alongside football's greatest legends following his display at Toulouse.

Former PSG striker and eight-time Ballon d'Or champion Lionel Messi remains one of only two players to earn perfect scores twice, though both performances occurred during his Barcelona tenure. His matches against Arsenal in 2010 and Bayer Leverkusen in 2012 both merited ten ratings.

Erling Haaland stands as the sole other player with multiple perfect scores, achieving this against RB Leipzig in 2023 with five goals and in the Manchester derby in 2022 after his hat-trick in a 6–3 victory.

Neves's teammate Désiré Doué earned a ten in last season's Champions League final with his historic performance against Inter, while Neymar also achieved this milestone in 2018 for PSG versus Dijon.

Kylian Mbappé and Robert Lewandowski feature among the other distinguished names with this honor, while Franck Sauzée and Bruno Martini—the inaugural recipients of a ten—remain the only pair to earn perfect scores in the same match during France U21s' triumph over Greece U21s in 1988.

Complete List of Players Awarded Perfect 10s by L'Equipe