Eden Hazard of Belgium has retired from international football at the age of 31, he announced today.
The Real Madrid wide forward made his Belgium debut in 2008 at the age of 17 and went on to captain the country’s ‘golden generation’.
He made 126 appearances for his country, scoring 33 goals and making 36 assists.
Hazard was in the Belgium squad to the Qatar 2022 World Cup where they were disappointiny eliminated at the group stages, four years after he captained them to the semi-finals in Russia.
“A page turns today. Thank you for your love and for your unparalleled support,” Hazard said today.
“Thank you for all this happiness shared since 2008. I have decided to put an end to my international career. The succession is ready. I will miss you.”
Hazard, once regarded as one of the best players in Europe, has struggled with injuries in recent seasons and is now a bit-part player at Real Madrid.
He excelled at both Lille and Chelsea before making a €115 million move to Real Madrid in 2019.
