Eden Hazard argues his superiority to Cristiano Ronaldo in ‘pure football’ context, acknowledges Lionel Messi’s historical greatness

Eden Hazard, once seen as Cristiano Ronaldo's successor at Real Madrid, struggled to fulfill expectations due to injuries and poor form, tallying only seven goals and 12 assists during his time with the club.

Eden Hazard Claims That He Was Better Than Cristiano Ronaldo In Footballing Terms
Nico Vereecken / Photonews via Getty Images

The Belgian completed a high-profile transfer from Chelsea to Real Madrid in June 2019, receiving the prestigious No.7 jersey from club president Florentino Perez. Hazard was widely seen as the heir to Ronaldo, the club’s most prolific goal scorer. However, his tenure in the Spanish capital was marred by injuries, resulting in just seven goals and 12 assists.

In an interview with L’Equipe, Hazard contributed to the ongoing Messi versus Ronaldo debate, acknowledging Messi as possibly the greatest individual player in history. While expressing admiration for Barcelona’s former star, Hazard suggested Neymar could rival Ronaldo’s impact on the field. Despite recognizing Ronaldo’s stature, Hazard asserted that, in terms of playing style, he didn’t consider himself inferior. He also praised Real Madrid’s other exceptional players like Benzema, Modric, Kroos, and De Bruyne.

While Messi and Ronaldo continue to excel with Inter Miami and Al-Nassr respectively, Hazard announced his retirement from professional football at 32 years old in October 2023. Throughout his time at Madrid, Hazard faced criticism for his fitness and recurrent ankle injuries, which affected his performance on the pitch.

Ronaldo remains Real Madrid’s top goal scorer, netting 450 goals in 438 matches during his tenure. He secured a total of 15 trophies with the club, including four Champions League titles and two La Liga championships.

Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard

Forwarder, Midfielder

BelgiumBelgium

Age: 33

173 cm

76 kg

This season he played in total 6 times for 194 minutes for La Liga.

Eden Hazard didn’t score any goal for Real Madrid. He procured no assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 2nd in La Liga. In the last match Real Madrid won 2-0 against Getafe. The next match in La Liga will be against Atlético Madrid.

TBC performance and stats

TBC

Manager: Scott Rogers
Top 3 Scorers
Last season

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro

Forwarder, Midfielder

PortugalPortugal

Age: 39

188 cm

83 kg

Season 2023/2024
Played 2 1 Missed
Minutes 202 101.0 Avg
Goals 1 0.5 Avg
Assist 0 0.0 Avg
Attempt 8 4.0 Avg
Passes 64 32.075.0% AvgSucc
Yellow 1 0.5 Avg
Red 0 0.0 Avg

This season he played in total 18 times for 1616 minutes for Pro League.

Cristiano Ronaldo  scored 19 goals for Al Nassr. He procured 9 assists. He received 1 yellow card and no red cards.

His team is currently 2nd in Pro League. In the last match Al Nassr won 6-0 against Inter Miami. The next match in Pro League will be against Al Fateh.

Al Nassr performance and stats

Al Nassr

Manager: Luís Ribeiro de Castro
Rank 2nd
Win 23
Draw 2
Loss 4
Goals 84-35
Diff 49

It will be Al Nassr ended the league in the 2nd position with 46 points.

In the last 19 games, it has won 15 times, drawn once, and lost 3 times. In its last match, Al Nassr won 1-4 against Al Taawon.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 55 goals and conceding 23.​

Al Nassr will play the next match in Pro League against Al Fateh on Wednesday 14th of February in Riyadh.​

Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini

Forwarder, Midfielder

ArgentinaArgentina

Age: 37

170 cm

72 kg

Season 2024
Played 7 4 Missed
Minutes 584 83.4 Avg
Goals 9 1.3 Avg
Assist 5 0.7 Avg
Attempt 25 3.6 Avg
Passes 329 47.086.6% AvgSucc
Yellow 0 0.0 Avg
Red 0 0.0 Avg

This season he played in total 6 times for 372 minutes for Major League Soccer.

Lionel Messi scored 1 goal for Inter Miami. He procured two assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 14th in Major League Soccer. In the last match Inter Miami lost 6-0 against Al Nassr.

Inter Miami performance and stats

Inter Miami

Manager: Gerardo Martino
Rank 1st
Win 6
Draw 3
Loss 2
Goals 26-16
Diff 10

It will be Inter Miami ended the league in the 14th position with 34 points.

In the last 34 games, it has won 9 times, drawn 7 times, and lost 18 times. In its last match, Inter Miami lost 1-0 against Charlotte.​​

It has a negative goal difference after scoring 41 goals and conceding 54.​