Hazard

Eden Michael Hazard was born 7 January 1991 and is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard's creativity, speed, and technical ability are widely acknowledged. He has been described as "a superb passer" and has earned critical acclaim for his playing style, which has led to the media, coaches, and players drawing comparisons to FIFA Ballon d'Or winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Hazard is often ranked by coaches, colleagues, and commentators as one of the best players in the world.

Hazard's Greatest Moments

To be considered the best in the world, a player must be able to produce his best form in the biggest games. Hazard has already proven himself able to do that, with a stand-out performance against Manchester City recently, and in the Super Cup match against Bayern Munich in August, where he scored with a wonderful effort. Chelsea also had Hazard to thank for clawing their way back into the FA Cup quarter-final tie at Old Trafford in March 2013, as his introduction from the bench sparked off a fight-back that was completed in the replay as Chelsea went through at Man United’s expense. The Champions League last 16 clash against Galatasaray will be another test of Hazard’s ability to influence the biggest games, and with Barcelona and Real Madrid potentially lying in wait should Chelsea progress, we will know ever more about Hazard’s true pedigree. But what we have seen so far is greatly promising. Personal awards could yet be heading Hazard’s way, particularly in the young player categories, if he spearheads a successful World Cup campaign for Belgium.

Hazard's Career

Hazard is a Belgium international, having represented his nation at under-17 and under-19 level. Prior to starring for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that qualified for the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Hazard made his senior international debut in November 2008, at the age of 17 years and 316 days, in a friendly match against Luxembourg. Nearly three years after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan in October 2011. He has since earned over 50 caps, and was a member of the Belgian squad which reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup..