It has come to fruition that this week one of the world’s finest has hung up his cleats. Eden Hazard is known to many as the dribble king or the greatest what if story. Whether you have never watched a game or are a seasoned fan you should know what was the greatest highlight reel.
In the football world, many debates get sparked on varying topics. Often comparing two players in the prime of their careers. No one had a prime quite like Hazard. At Chelsea FC Hazard accumulated 191 direct goal involvements with 110 goals and 92 assists. He is also Chelsea’s 3rd all time leading goal scorer in the Premier league era, amassing 167 total goals throughout his entire club career. He even was named captain for Belgium going into the 2018 world cup where they placed 3rd. Hazard also set a world cup record for most dribbles with a 100% success rate at 10.
The statistics, while impressive, don’t tell the whole Hazard story. Before his move to Real Madrid, he was regarded as one of the world’s best players. Seeing him warm up on the sidelines was enough to send shivers down opposing defenders’ spines. His technical ability was world class. He wouldn’t always end up on the scoresheet but his dribbling would create vast opportunities for his teammates.
His retirement while very sad does not come as a surprise. He is at the waning moments of a once great career plagued by injuries and what ifs. An article can’t do Eden Hazard justice as best moments are like no other. All it takes is one video to see he plays the beautiful game the way it was meant to be played:
