Belgian star Eden Hazard has decided to end his career with the national team after failing to qualify for the Qatar World Cup final, he announced on his Instagram account on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old Real Madrid player said: “Today I have moved on… Thank you for your love. Thank you for your unmatched support. Thank you for all the happiness you have shared with me since 2008. I have decided to end to my international career. I will miss you.” .
Hazard was a Yemeni who led his country to at least repeat their 2018 success as they reached the semi-finals, but the fall to Morocco with a clear brace in the second round of Group G competitions, and then a goalless draw with Croatia in the final round ended the career of the “Red Devils” in the first round.
Hazard’s retirement marks the first stop at the end of the golden generation, which also lost its Spanish coach, Roberto Martinez, after he decided to leave and not renew his contract after the end of the group stage of the World Cup. Qatar.
Four years ago, Belgium’s golden generation was at its peak and topped the list of candidates to win the country’s first world title, but the journey didn’t come to an end and it stopped in the round of 16 final of the hands of France, who later crowned the title.
Hazard and his cohort entered the Qatar World Cup knowing it was their last chance to try and live up to their reputation as one of the best players on the continent.
But Morocco did what they did and knocked out coach Martinez’s men which forced them to win in the last round against Croatia but that didn’t happen so they settled for a draw and the season it’s over.
Immediately after the end of the match, in which Romelu Lukaku squandered two golden opportunities in the last seconds to snatch the qualification card, Martinez announced that he was leaving the post he held in 2016.
“This game was my last game for the national team – he said excitedly -. It’s time for me to resign.”
Captain Hazard joined him on Wednesday, ending a career that began in 2008 when he was 17 years and 316 days old, en route to playing 126 games, during which he scored 33 goals.
Hazard was counting on the Qatar World Cup to restart his career, which had been cut short since he moved to Real Madrid in 2019 from Chelsea, England, due to a slew of injuries.
