“It’s been really great to watch his rise at Schalke. To come on to score three goals in a Bundesliga game was amazing. He’s a young attacking talent, really good work great, really good energy. We’re really excited to see what he can do with our group.”
Matthew Hoppe made international headlines when he became the first American to register a hat-trick in the Bundesliga on Jan. 9, 2021, accomplishing the feat in Schalke 04's 3-0 win over Hoffenheim. The Yorba Linda, Calif. native pulled off his scoring heroics during an impressive 21-minute span. Then 19, Hoppe tallied his first Bundesliga goal in the 42nd minute, adding scores in the 57th and 63rd minutes.
He became the third U.S. player to score three goals in a game in a top European League, joining Clint Dempsey (Fulham) and Christian Pulisic (Chelsea).
An alumnus of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, Hoppe secured his hat-trick in his fifth league match as Schalke snapped a 30-game winless streak with its first league victory in almost a year. Hoppe was named the Bundesliga rookie of the month for January for his achievement.
On Feb. 1, 2021, he signed his first professional contract with Schalke, which runs through the 2022-23 season. Schalke, which will finish and in 18th place and last in the Bundesliga, recently was relegated to 2. Bundesliga for the 2021-22 campaign.
Hoppe, who turned 20 on March 13, finished the season with six goals over 21 games, 14 starts and 1,220 minutes.
While growing up in Orange County, Calif., the 6-3, 176-lb. Hoppe became of the most productive U.S. Soccer Development Academy goalscorers. After tallying 23 times in 56 appearances for several Strikers FC sides in 2015-17, he struck for 26 goals in 31 matches for Grand Sports Academy in 2017-18 and added 32 goals in 29 contests for the Barcelona Academy from 2017-19.
