Marca Feature: The Pride of Belgium, Eden Hazard’s Adventure

Marca visited the birthplace of Eden Hazard, in Braine-le-Comte, to uncover the childhood stories of this former Belgian captain.

In the Bible, Eden is the paradise created by God, a blissful abode for Adam and Eve. For Eden Hazard, his Eden was a simple patch of grass behind his home. If it were not for a small fence separating it from the Brainois Stadium, it would appear as any other garden, but this was the playground of the Hazard family—Eden Hazard, his brothers Thorgan, Kylian, and Ethan all grew up with football as their companion.

“At Christmas, Santa always brought them footballs as gifts,” Eden’s father, Thierry Hazard, recalled with a smile. Various types of balls were scattered around the tiny garden, sometimes chewed up by the family dog. Eden’s mother, Carine, reminisced, “Because of the bad weather, they had to play inside the house, breaking more than one vase. Of course, they preferred the football field; the children could climb over the fence directly into the pitch, starting mini football matches.”

“We started playing there when we were three years old, always having fun, I think that’s why we became footballers now,” said the third brother, Kylian, who also trained at Chelsea but returned to Belgium after suffering a serious knee injury, recently playing for Tiberius. The youngest brother, Ethan, has also taken his first steps in the Belgian Third Division: “I love watching my brothers’ games, hoping one day to be a great player like them.”

As a child, Eden was not just a boy who loved football, but one who yearned for success. He knew this very well, and he was also exceptionally gifted. Both parents were physical education teachers, and the four brothers received early sports training, excelling in swimming, cycling, and football. Soon after, Eden joined Tiberius, where he met Olivier Langedries, son of the club president, both playing on the senior team with Eden’s father.

“I remember during halftime, he started the game with the ball, and everyone was amazed at how good this kid was. Eden was only 10-14 years old, but he was strong and stood out among the smaller teams. A few years later, he made a leap, shining in international competitions. The big Belgian clubs started chasing him, but he chose Lille because it was close to home and Lille was a step above the other Belgian clubs,” Olivier recalled.

Lille was close to home, less than an hour away, allowing the club to let him attend school in the morning and train in the afternoon. Eden embarked on his dream journey in this ideal place with a strong and mature mindset. “When Eden arrived at Lille, the club officials asked him about his future goals. He answered that he wanted to win the Ballon d’Or. Everyone exclaimed, ‘What an arrogant little guy!’ But Eden always knew what he wanted, most importantly happiness. He enjoyed every moment of playing, pursuing his dream with all his heart,” Thierry recalled Eden’s early days at Lille.

Hazard won the league and cup double with Lille, catching the attention of European giants like Chelsea. He began an extraordinary adventure in London, which saw him rise to become the third-best player after Messi and Ronaldo, something not many achieve. Real Madrid and Florentino Pérez showed interest, and Hazard waited for the signing he had dreamed of for years, finally working alongside his idol Zidane at his beloved Real Madrid.

Joining Real Madrid was not only a dream come true for Hazard but also held significant meaning for his entire family. The fourth brother, Ethan, remembers clearly: “I was taking exams at school when my mother told me we had to go to Madrid because Eden was going to present himself at the Bernabéu. I was so happy, I skipped my English exam.” He laughed as he recalled.

“All Belgians know that he was the best player we ever had,” Olivier Langedries summed up.

However, things did not always go as planned. Hazard’s career at Real Madrid was not as smooth as he had hoped, with injuries complicating matters. Eden lost confidence and decided to leave football with a year left on his contract, being honest with himself.

His parents, brothers, wife, and children understood his struggles throughout this process. Thierry sighed, “Few people can understand him because everyone thinks he can still continue. But he chose to stop because he realized he no longer enjoyed football and couldn’t find the meaning in it. He wanted to be honest with himself, with Real Madrid, and with the fans, and that’s why he left.”