The sad decline of Eden Hazard: Why World Cup is broken Belgium star's last chance to prove critics wrong

After seven trophy-laden years at Chelsea, Eden Hazard left Stamford Bridge in 2019 as a hero and club legend, signing off with a match-winning turn in the Europa League final against Arsenal.

The Belgian had finally succumbed to the advances of Real Madrid as Chelsea agreed to an £88 million deal, and he explained his decision to depart in an emotional post to supporters on social media.

"I hope you understand I had to pursue my next chapter, just as each and every one of you should when you have the chance to pursue your dreams," he said. "Now it's in the open, I would like to put on record one thing was always clear to me, I have loved every moment at Chelsea and not once did I ever consider, nor would I have left for any other club."

Hazard’s Bernabeu dream did, however, quickly turn into a nightmare.

His Madrid debut was delayed due to a hamstring injury on the eve of the 2019-20 La Liga season, and that came after doubts over his fitness had already been raised during the Blancos’ underwhelming pre-season, as he appeared to report for training overweight.

Getty/GOAL

Hazard admitted as much in an interview with L’Equipe that November, saying: ''It's true. I’m not going to hide it, but when I’m on vacation, I’m on vacation.''

By that time, the former Chelsea star was a regular in Madrid’s lineup, but was unrecognisable from the man that had terrified defences on a weekly basis in the Premier League. Hazard pledged to raise his game, only to be plagued by more injuries over the Christmas period.

Fast-forward to the end of the season, and he had managed to record just one goal and seven assists across 22 appearances. Hazard had been billed as the perfect replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo following his 2018 move to Juventus, but he flopped in spectacular fashion, and was even linked with a return to Chelsea.

The 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons followed an almost identical pattern for Hazard, who has been reduced to little more than a squad player during Carlo Ancelotti’s second spell in charge at the Bernabeu.

Getty/GOAL

Madrid have thrived with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo supporting Karim Benzema instead of Hazard, winning a 14th European Cup while wrestling the Spanish title back from arch-rivals Atletico Madrid.

Ancelotti insisted that Hazard "understands his situation very well'' after using him as a starter in just two of Madrid’s opening 10 games in all competitions this term. The reality has set in for the 31-year-old: He will never be the player he once was and his career in the Spanish capital is drawing to a close.

"In the summer it is possible that I go,'' Hazard told Marca last week. "I have one more year and I have to show [what I can do] but it isn't easy, I want to play more. If the club tells me 'Eden, thanks for four years, but you have to go', I have to accept it because it's normal. I'm really sorry about what has happened."

He added in a separate sit down with L’Equipe: "To be honest, this level of 2018, I no longer have it. I suffered too much, mentally and physically. I'm not ashamed to say it. In 2018, I was maybe in the top 10 in the world.

"Am I going to come back to it? I don't think so. But if my body allows me, I can still do great things."

Despite his lack of playing time at Madrid, Hazard will be leading Belgium out as captain at the 2022 World Cup. Roberto Martinez is still counting on the country’s fallen idol as he makes a final attempt to ensure that a ‘Golden Generation’ of talent delivers on its potential and bows out with silverware.

In truth, Belgium will be looking to Manchester City magician Kevin De Bruyne as their main source of inspiration in Qatar, not Hazard. The Madrid outcast was once in the same bracket as De Bruyne, a player capable of winning games single-handedly, whether by scoring outrageous individual goals or executing defense-splitting passes.

Hazard’s dribbling ability made him almost impossible to mark, with his low centre of gravity and explosive turn of pace enabling him to create space in the final third and instantly put the opposition on the back foot.

He was a joy to watch in full flow, and more often than not had the end product to match his skill in possession, as evidenced by his haul of 110 goals and 92 assists in 252 games for Chelsea.

Joining Madrid was supposed to be his platform to go on and win a maiden Ballon d’Or, but the move has proven to be a curse rather than a blessing. Hazard allowed his standards to slip after reaching the top of the mountain, and it is now certain that he will never climb back up to the summit.

Martinez has done his best to dismiss any fears over Hazard’s club struggles transferring onto the international stage. The Belgium boss said in a press conference ahead of Wednesday's clash with Canada: ''I know that there will always be debate and that in a national team it is seen that the players are at a good level in their clubs, but with Hazard, we no longer value this situation. His role in the national team goes far beyond what he does on a day-to-day basis.

"We have confidence and blind faith that his talent, experience, and attitude make us a better selection.''

Getty/GOAL

It is a truly sad state of affairs that the once magnetic, magnificent and downright mesmerising Hazard has fallen so far that ''blind faith'' is all he has left. The omens look even worse after his latest outing, as he cut a frustrated figure in a 2-1 loss against Egypt in Belgium's final warm-up game for Qatar.

The World Cup will surely be his last dance at the very highest level, and although it would be one of football’s ultimate redemption stories if he can lift Belgium to glory, it seems far more likely that his descent into has-been territory will be completed.