By: Sandipan Ghosh Image credit: X
On October 10, 2023, the former Belgian international soccer star Eden Hazard announced his retirement from professional soccer at the age of 32 years. For the soccer fans, it wasn't a surprise.
Hazard was popular both as a winger and an attacking midfielder. In his 16 years of professional soccer career, he played for the top European clubs Lille, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.
After four complete seasons for the senior Lille team, Hazard moved to the English club Chelsea in 2012 summer. He was one of the greatest players in Chelsea FC history.
The Belgian scored 110 goals in 352 appearances for Chelsea. He won the Chelsea Player of the Year award four times during his seven seasons for the club.
In the 2019 summer, Hazard became Real Madrid's second most expensive signing ever at that time. However, slowly that transfer became a tragedy in his soccer career.
While the 28-year-old Hazard joined Madrid as the future star, he initially failed to impress due to his inconsistent performances. Later, his fitness issues made the situation worse.
At Real Madrid, while Hazard was regularly trolled for his overweight, his recurring ankle injuries forced him to spend mostly on the bench.
Although Hazard's initial contract with Real Madrid was until the end of the 2023/24 season, his contract was terminated last June. Three months after his Madrid exit, Hazard retired from the game.
Belgium's second-most goal-scorer, Hazard had retired from international soccer after the FIFA World Cup 2022. He won the Silver Ball at the FIFA World Cup 2018, where Belgium finished in third place.
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