Eden Hazard has sensationally claimed he is better than Cristiano Ronaldo, before admitting Lionel Messi is ‘the greatest in history’.
The Belgian left Chelsea to join Real Madrid in June 2019 and was presented with the iconic No.7 jersey by president Florentino Perez. Hazard was seen as the successor to Ronaldo, the greatest goalscorer in the club’s history. However, he failed to fulfill his potential and faded after scoring just seven goals and providing 12 assists during his injury-hit spell in the Spanish capital.
During an interview with L’Equipe, Hazard spoke out on the debate between Messi and Ronaldo: “Individually, Messi is perhaps the only one. I loved seeing the Barcelona player, less at the end, but he is the greatest in history. It is impossible to take the ball from him. Cristiano is a bigger player than me but, in terms of pure football, I don’t believe him. Neymar, maybe. Afterwards, he is not better than me, but at Real, you have the best, including in terms of career: Benzema, Modric, they were the best, Kroos, Kev’ (De Bruyne), they all breathe football “.
Hazard sides with Messi
While Messi and Ronaldo continue their careers with Inter Miami and Al-Nassr respectively, Hazard announced that he will retire at the age of 32, in October 2023. The winger did not take care of himself during his stay in Madrid and was often accused of being overweight. Additionally, a recurring ankle injury hampered him, leading to a decline in his on-field performance.
Ronaldo is the top scorer in Real Madrid’s history with 450 goals in 438 matches. In total, Ronaldo won 15 trophies during his time in Spain, including four Champions Leagues and two La Liga.
