After the last World Cup in Qatar, ex-Belgian international Eden Hazard decided to stop after 126 international matches. He did not think it was fair to the younger generation to continue with the Red Devils.
Hazard thought it was unfair towards teammates to still play for Belgium
After the European Championship in the summer of 2021, doubts already started to set in for Hazard. “I had done my best to be fit in time after my ankle injury,” Hazard told RTBF. “Unfortunately I couldn’t participate in the lost quarter-final against Italy and that really took a toll on me mentally.” With Belgium he went to the World Cup at the end of last year, but that turned out to be his last trick for his home country.
He adds, “Meanwhile, new guys were knocking on the door of the national team.” According to Hazard, he couldn’t afford to stand in the way of those guys any longer: “Don’t play at Real, then come to the Red Devils and play football there. I didn’t like that, certainly not because the new generation also deserves to play.”
Hazard sought advice from Real Madrid teammate Toni Kroos, who retired as a Germany international two years ago. He told the Belgian that he could use that time to enjoy his family. “My family has known for a long time. Within the family they were a little sad, but now they are happy. It’s time I couldn’t normally spend with them, but now I can,” the forward reveals.
Eden Hazard’s last international match
The last game Hazard played in Belgium’s kit was a three-minute substitution at the World Cup against Croatia. That match meant elimination for the Belgians. “I really wanted to start that match, but Roberto Martínez informed me two hours in advance that I wouldn’t be playing, because I couldn’t train the day after the match against Morocco because I had some problems,” Hazard admits.
The former Chelsea man concludes, “Martínez may not have thought that the third game would be life and death. The plan beforehand was to spare me in the third game so that I would be ready for the eighth finals. Unfortunately. We played a good game against Croatia, we just lacked a goal.”
