By posting on social media Belgium’s early exit from the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, Eden Hazard, announced his retirement from the sport.

Eden Hazard : Retirement | world cup 2022 | Stats

Eden Michael Walter Hazard is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid.

Eden Hazard : Retirement | world cup 2022 | Stats

Personal information
Full name Eden Michael Walter Hazard    
Date of birth 7 January 1991 (age 31)
   Place of birth    La Louvière, Belgium
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Winger, attacking midfielder

Known for his creativity, dribbling, passing and vision, Hazard is considered one of the best players of his generation.

Hazard is the son of two former footballers and began his career in Belgium playing for local youth clubs. In 2005, he moved to France, where he began his senior career with Ligue 1 club Lille.

Hazard spent two years in the club’s academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007. He became an integral part of the Lille team under manager Rudi Garcia. 

Eden Hazard Retirement 

Belgium star Eden Hazard announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday, days after the team crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage.

The Real Madrid forward, 31, made the announcement on social media, saying “a page turns today.”

Eden Hazard : Retirement | world cup 2022 | Stats

“Thank you for your unparalleled support,” he posted on Instagram. “Thank you for all this happiness shared since 2008. I have decided to put an end to my international career. The succession is ready. I will miss you.”

The Belgium team tweeted: “All the best, captain.”
Hazard, who played as an attacking midfielder or winger, made his Belgium debut in 2008 as a teenager and collected a total of 126 caps, scoring 33 goals.

He was the standard-bearer of Belgium’s much-vaunted “golden generation,” which reached the semifinals at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The team are still ranked second in the world by FIFA but many of their players are in their 30s and they finished third in Group F behind Morocco and Croatia.

Hazard, who was the team’s skipper, made a surprise admission during the tournament in Qatar, saying the team’s best chance to win the World Cup had come and gone.

The forward moved from French club Lille to Chelsea in 2012 and became one of the standout stars in the Premier League, winning the trophy twice.

He sealed a big-money move to Real Madrid in 2019 but, hampered by injury, has struggled to repeat the form he showed in England.

Eden Hazard world cup 2022

Hazard made his debut at mere 17 years old in 2008 and achieved countless laurels through the years.

Eden Hazard : Retirement | world cup 2022 | Stats

Most importantly, he captained his country’s team 56 times and encouraged outstanding performance from the team throughout.

By posting on social media Belgium’s early exit from the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, the team’s star player, Eden Hazard, announced his retirement from the sport.

He bid farewell to fans via his social media, thanking them for their support and love as he sought to turn a new leaf in his life.

The footballer’s attachment to the sport was apparent in his goodbye message, and it is safe to say that he will be thoroughly missed by fans globally.

Apart from playing for his country, the footballer played the winger and mid-fielder positions for multiple football clubs, including Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Throughout his tenure, he proved his proficiency in the sport, making over 250 appearances in various matches.

Famously, the player led the Stamford Bridge Club to two Europa League wins and two titles in the Premier League.

Stats

Hazard played for various Belgian national youth teams, such as the under-17 and under-19 teams. With the under-17 team, he was a regular in the team making 17 appearances and scoring two goals.

Eden Hazard : Retirement | world cup 2022 | Stats

Senior career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
          2007–2008            Lille B 13 (1)
2007–2012 Lille 147 (36)
2012–2019 Chelsea 245 (85)
2019– Real Madrid 51 (4)
International career
2006 Belgium U15 5 (1)
2006 Belgium U16 4 (2)
2006–2008 Belgium U17 17 (2)
2007–2009 Belgium U19 11 (6)
2008–2022 Belgium 126 (33)

He played with the team in the Toto Cup, a yearly international youth tournament held in Austria and, also, played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, which Belgium hosted.

In the tournament, Hazard scored his only goal in the team’s opening match against the Netherlands converting a penalty in a 2–2 draw.

The match was a homecoming for Hazard, as it was played in Tubize, where he spent part of his youth career.

Throughout the tournament, Hazard impressed media and coaches, which led to many in Belgium comparing him to Belgian football legend Enzo Scifo.

Hazard was selected for Belgium’s FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign, assisting once in a 5–2 win vs Estonia, and scoring in a 3–0 victory over the Czech Republic. He was later praised by Belgium manager Roberto Martinez.

On 7 December 2022, following Belgium’s group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup, Hazard announced his retirement from the national team at the age of 31.

By Rishabh

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *