The Manchester City midfielder named his former teammate, Eden Hazard — who played for Chelsea and Real Madrid — as the most gifted footballer Belgium has ever had. ..Continue Reading
“For me, it has to be Eden [Hazard],” said De Bruyne, according to Give Me Sport. “He’s so, so good. I think talent-wise, he’s probably top five in the world.”
Kevin De Bruyne could easily stake a claim for both titles himself — Belgium’s greatest and most talented player — but it’s clear he holds Eden Hazard in exceptionally high regard.
Hazard first made headlines with Lille in France’s Ligue 1, prompting Chelsea to sign him in 2012. Though his spell in England wasn’t without flaws, it was marked by consistent success.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, Hazard won two Premier League titles, two Europa League trophies, and both domestic cups — playing a key role in each triumph.
He departed Chelsea for Real Madrid in 2019, where he added two La Liga titles to his resume before leaving the Spanish giants and retiring from professional football in 2023.
In De Bruyne’s eyes, only three current players surpass Hazard in pure talent: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar.
As reported by Give Me Sport, the six-time Premier League winner believes those three are the only ones worthy of comparison.
Each of the trio is now older than Hazard was when he stepped away from the game at 32.
Neymar, now 33, returned to his boyhood club Santos in January after an illustrious European career and a stint in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal.
His accolades include a Champions League title with Barcelona in 2015 and seven league titles across spells with Barça and PSG.
Messi, who shared that 2015 Champions League glory with Neymar, boasts an incredible ten La Liga titles and two Ligue 1 championships with PSG.
Cristiano Ronaldo, a long-time rival of Messi, spent close to two decades at the pinnacle of world football before making the move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in 2023.
Meanwhile, De Bruyne himself is rumored to be considering a move to the Saudi Pro League when he parts ways with Manchester City at the season’s end.
