Leadnaija
Outgoing Manchester City midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne has named Eden Hazard as the most naturally gifted footballer to ever emerge from Belgium — and one of the top five most talented players in the world.
In a recent interview shared by Give Me Sport, De Bruyne, widely regarded as one of the greatest playmakers of his generation, gave his flowers to his former international teammate, saying:
“For me, it has to be Eden [Hazard]. He’s so, so good. I think talent-wise, he’s probably top five in the world.”
De Bruyne, who is set to leave Manchester City at the end of the season amid links to the Saudi Pro League, revealed that only Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar rank higher than Hazard in terms of pure football talent.
Hazard, who burst onto the scene with French side Lille, rose to stardom at Chelsea, where he dazzled the Premier League with his dribbling, creativity, and match-winning moments. During his time at Stamford Bridge, Hazard lifted two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, and multiple domestic cups — often playing a decisive role.
The Belgian winger moved to Real Madrid in 2019, where he added two La Liga titles to his name before retiring from professional football in 2023 at the age of 32.
De Bruyne’s comments place Hazard among the elite, despite his injury-hit spell in Spain.
The three players De Bruyne considers more talented — Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar — remain icons of the modern game, with decorated careers spanning clubs like Barcelona, PSG, Real Madrid, Juventus, and now Al-Nassr and Santos.
Meanwhile, speculation continues to swirl around De Bruyne’s next move after an illustrious spell at Manchester City that includes six Premier League titles. Reports suggest a potential big-money switch to Saudi Arabia could be on the horizon.
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