Breaking: Belgium captain Eden Hazard announces retirement from international football
Belgium captain Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from international football just days after his team's elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Belgian Red Devils crashed out of the tournament after a 0-0 draw against Croatia on 1 December. Hazard captained his team in the first two group-stage games.
But the Real Madrid winger was reduced to playing just three minutes coming off the bench against the 2018 FIFA World Cup finalists. Hazard has now announced his decision to call it quits from international football at the age of 31.
He posted a statement on his official Instagram account in French, English, and Dutch. It read:
"A page turns today… Thank you for your love. Thank you for your unparalleled support. 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….#onestensemble"
Hazard has retired from international football, having scored 33 goals in 126 senior appearances for his national team. The former Chelsea winger has been the poster boy for Belgium's underachieving 'golden generation' over the past decade or so.
He represented his team at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups. The best possible finish they could manage during that time was a third-place finish in Russia.
Arguably his best display in a major tournament came in the 2016 UEFA European Championship. He scored once and assisted four times in five games, but Belgium were eliminated from the quarter-finals by Wales.
A similar fate awaited them five years later in the 2020 UEFA European Championship. This time, they were dumped out by the eventual winners Italy.
His future at Real Madrid is also uncertain. Hazard's contract at the Santiago Bernabeu expires in the summer of 2024 and he has played just 98 minutes of La Liga football this campaign.
However, he has reiterated his desire to stay at the club and impress manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Eden Hazard retires as a legend for Belgium
He may not have won a major trophy with the Belgian Red Devils, but Eden Hazard is arguably one of Belgium's greatest-ever players.
After 126 caps and 33 goals, Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from international football at age 31 🇧🇪 https://t.co/qbr6EAlDea
At 17 years, 10 months and 12 days, he became the ninth-youngest player to play for Belgium. He made his debut in a 1-1 friendly draw against Luxembourg in November 2008.
He is also their fourth-highest appearance maker on the international stage, having turned out in 126 senior games. Jan Vertonghen (35) has 145 caps to his name, which Hazard could have overtaken had he played for a few more years.
With 33 goals to his name, he is also the country's second-highest goal-scorer in history behind Romelu Lukaku (68).