A world-class talent for Belgium, Eden Hazard won silverware at Real Madrid, Chelsea and Lille before injuries forced him to retire at the age of 32.

Eden Hazard is a former Belgium international who played for Real Madrid, Chelsea and Lille.

He came through the ranks at French side Lille and was one of the leading players in Ligue 1 for a couple of years, which led to his move to Chelsea.

For a number of seasons, he was recognised as one of the elite players in the Premier League prior to his move to Real Madrid.

But the Belgian struggled with injuries and made just 76 appearances in four seasons at Real before leaving in the summer of 2023.

He announced his retirement at the age of 32 on October 10. 2023.

Coming through at Lille

Hazard first joined the French outfit in 2005. He progressed through their youth set-up and made his senior debut in November 2007 aged 16. The youngster made three further substitute appearances in 2007/08, before he became a regular in the first team during the 2008/09 campaign.

The forward made 35 appearances during the 2008/09 season, though many of them were as a substitute. He got six goals and four assists as his raw ability was already catching the eye of clubs around Europe. Hazard was linked with the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona, but he remained at Lille for a few more years to help his development.

He made 31 league starts in 2009/10 when he was still just 19 years old. It was a positive season for Lille, as they finished fourth in Ligue 1.

Hazard was a large part of their success. He netted ten times and he grabbed 13 assists in all competitions. He was named UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year for the second successive season in 2009/10.

After an inconsistent start to the 2010/11 season, it grew to become Hazard's best year to date for Lille.

They won the league and cup double that year. The Belgium international scored 12 goals and 14 assists from his 54 outings in all competitions, as he became the youngest ever player to win the Ligue 1 Player of the Year accolade.

Hazard was now flying for Lille and upon being given the number ten shirt, his form hit new heights in 2011/12.

In an astonishing season for him personally, he was involved in 44 goals from 49 in all competitions, as he once again won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award.

Chelsea calling

Chelsea won the race to sign Hazard in the summer of 2012. They secured the signing in June for a fee of around £32million.

Some players find it difficult to cope with the rigours of the Premier League at first, but Hazard did not have such problems. His unique talent, speed and flair were a nightmare for defenders in England.

Hazard made 62 appearances in his debut season, as he got 13 goals and 24 assists. Chelsea ended the season on a high to win the UEFA Europa League.

Jose Mourinho returned as Chelsea boss ahead of the 2013/14 season, and he had a bittersweet relationship with Hazard.

By the end of his second year in England, Hazard was considered to be one of the best players in the league. But the manager often lambasted him for the effort he put in defensively. Despite this, Hazard was involved in 23 goals from 35 outings as he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Hazard was given the number ten shirt in the 2014/15 season as he was becoming more prolific in front of goal with each season that went by. Under Mourinho, the Blues won a league and cup double that season, with Hazard and Diego Costa spearheading their attack.

Hazard won the PFA Player's Player of the Year award along with Chelsea's Player of the Year accolade.

The 2015/16 season was a rare below-par campaign for Hazard, as he along with a number of other players reportedly fell out with Mourinho. Chelsea finished down in tenth as Mourinho left the club in December. Antonio Conte came in for the 2016/17 season to take over from interim boss Guus Hiddink.

Hazard returned to his best form that season, netting 17 league goals as he was named in the league's Team of the Year. The Blues won the Premier League by seven points.

His high-level showings continued in his final two years at the club, and he got 21 goals and 17 assists in 2018/19 before leaving the club that summer.

He departed the Blues after seven great years and he won one last trophy in his final game. Chelsea faced London rivals Arsenal in the Europa League final. Hazard put in a typical match-winning performance as he grabbed two goals and an assist to beat the Gunners 4-1.

Hazard played 352 times for Chelsea, as he got a remarkable 110 goals and 92 assists.

Madrid move and retirement

The Belgium forward opted for Real Madrid ahead of the 2019/20 season. He joined in a big-money deal worth an initial €100million, around €146million with add-ons. This deal made Hazard Madrid's most expensive ever signing.

Unfortunately, his time at Madrid did not go for plan. He was hampered by injury, and was also criticised by fans and media for appearing to be overweight during his debut season.

He only managed to make 22 appearances in his first season, as he got seven assists, but only one goal. His troubles with injury continued into his second season and beyond.

Hazard made just 76 appearances in four seasons at Real before leaving in the summer of 2023, and then retired in October aged just 32.

“You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time,” he wrote on Instagram.

“After 16 years and more than 700 matches played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer.

“I was able to realise my dream, I have played and had fun on many pitches around the world.

“During my career I was lucky to meet great managers, coaches and team-mates – thank you to everyone for these great times, I will miss you all.

“I also want to thank the clubs I have played for: LOSC, Chelsea and Real Madrid; and thank the RBFA for my Belgian selection.

“A special thank you to my family, my friends, my advisers and the people who have been close to me in good times and bad.

“Finally, a huge thank you to you, my fans, who have followed me for all these years and for your encouragement everywhere I have played.

“Now is the time to enjoy my loved ones and have new experiences.

See you off the field soon my friends.”

 

Belgium caps

Hazard appeared for Belgium in 2006 and 2007 at each youth level between U-15 and U-19. This was headlined by making six appearances for the U-19 side, which resulted in six goals and two assists.

Just over a year after making his U-19 debut, he made his senior debut in November 2008. Prior to his first senior outing, France did try to lure him to play for them. But Hazard opted to continue playing for Belgium.

Rene Vandereycken handed Hazard his debut at 17 years and 316 days old, making him their eighth youngest ever international player. He did not become a regular starter for Belgium to begin with, as despite shining for Lille, he had to work hard to earn a starting place for his country.

After a while, he became a consistent starter for Belgium, and he was a key figure for them at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016. He had a quiet World Cup, but in 2016 he got four assists and one goal as Belgium were knocked out of the quarterfinal stage by Wales.

Hazard also got three goals and two assists at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. They were knocked out at the semi-final stage, and he scored against England to help Belgium win the third-place playoff 2-0.

He was selected for the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, playing in three of Belguim's five matches in the tournament before an injury ruled him out of the quarter-finals.

Hazard was also captain of the 2022 World Cup squad, but after Belgium went out of the tournament in the group stages he announced his international retirement.

He made 126 appearances for the Belgium national side and scored 33 goals.

 

Personal life

Hazard was born in La Louviere, Belgium. His mother and father (Carine and Thierry) were both soccer players.

Carine played in the Belgian Women's First Division, and she only stopped playing when she was pregnant with Eden. Thierry meanwhile played for his local team La Louviere in the Belgian second division.

Eden is the eldest of three brothers and all of them became footballers. Thorgan has been capped by Belgium and has played for Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund.

While Eden's other brothers, Kylian and Ethan, have played at a lower level in Hungary and for Eden's youth club, AFC Tubize in Belgium respectively.

Hazard is married to Natacha Van Honacker, and together they have three children. They have three boys who are named Yannis, Leo and Samy.

Net worth

According to Soccer Souls, Hazard's net worth as of 2020 is around $88m. This comes from his big-money contracts with Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Also, in 2012 he signed a sponsorship deal with Nike, and in recent years he has been among the cover stars for the EA Sports video game FIFA.

In September 2021, Forbes listed Hazard 10th on the list of highest-earning players. During the 2021/22 season, he earned a $29million including a $26million contract with Real Madrid.

 

Away from the pitch, Hazard is the poster boy for McDonald's in his native Belgium and has deals with Nike and Nissan.