FIFA World Cup 2018: Captain Eden Hazard's selflessness could prove crucial for Belgium's hopes against France

“My target is to give everything, and only if we win trophies, I’ll be relaxed,” Eden Hazard doesn’t fit the mould of a modern-day star footballer – coming from humble roots, plying his trade for a club with a penchant for inconsistency, one of Premier League’s biggest star has rarely ever been the focal point of attraction off-the-pitch in spite of his sensational achievements on it.

As the spotlight diverted away from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with their nations’ elimination in the Round of 16 in Russia, the discussion centred around the world’s most expensive footballer Neymar as Brazil geared up to face Belgium in the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter-finals. Neymar, whose 2014 World Cup campaign was cut short by an injury; Neymar, who is in the prime of his career; Neymar, who orchestrated a move to Paris Saint-Germain solely so that he could present a strong case for Ballon d’Or; Neymar, around whom 200 million Brazilian’s hopes revolved was ready to paint the canvas with his pristine strokes of genius, but when the melee settled and Belgium stood victorious, it was Eden Hazard who walked away with the plaudits.

The 27-year-old playmaker, who joined Lille’s famed youth academy at 14, has seen “more ups than downs” in his career, in his own words, but has always been a touch away from ultimate greatness, barely finding his name mentioned among the potential successors to Messi and Ronaldo and almost always being in the footnote behind the likes of Neymar and Antoine Griezmann. Yet, Hazard, with all his impressive technical abilities cloaked by his humility is a true example of the beautiful game.

Against Brazil, Hazard became the only footballer to successfully complete all ten of his dribbles in the World Cup, wreaking havoc on the Latin American backline with Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne in tow. Casemiro’s absence had already left the Selecao defence porous, but Hazard’s mazy runs and sublime passing skills combined with Lukaku’s intelligent link-up play and de Bruyne’s authoritative midfield display produced one of the finest halves of World Cup football ever showcased by any nation.

Hazard has always remained just shy of shattering the glass ceiling – disinclined to shoot even when he has the opportunity, often opting for the selfless path out, putting his teammates ahead of himself – in many ways, the Belgian is the complete antithesis of Neymar. While the Paris Saint-Germain player loves to flaunt his propensities, his gimmicky attitude often too overbearing, the Chelsea attacker lets his expertise shine through – never succumbing to gaudiness, always portraying his finesse.

Just like any other contemporary attacking midfielder, Hazard regularly draws fouls, kicked around at an alarming intensity, but his outlook towards defenders and their fouls is again a stark contrast to that of Neymar or Mbappe – the Belgian will simply get up and continue with his game, a trait crucial in winning over the neutral fans and commandeering respect among his peers.

In a World Cup dominated by chaos and unpredictability, controversy and inadequacy, Eden Hazard has been a breath of fresh air. If his two goals against Tunisia highlighted his individual exceptionalism, his performances against Japan and Brazil epitomised his leadership qualities. Joining Chelsea as a 21-year-old mercurial winger, Hazard may have mastered his craft on his own, in spite of mostly playing in a restrictive system, but there is no doubt he has taken pointers about leading a side from a certain John Terry, often regarded as one of the finest club captains of the current millennium.

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When Belgium were teetering on the edge of elimination against Japan, it was Hazard’s curling cross which assisted Marouane Fellaini’s superb header to inspire a comeback from Roberto Martinez’s side. In the quarter-finals, just when it looked like Brazil were finally finding a rhythm and threatening Courtois’ goal, Hazard took it upon himself to become Belgium’s first line of defence – shielding the ball and using up crucial minutes with his retention of possession – an aspect which would even make Jose Mourinho proud.

Tracking back or defending for his life has never been Hazard’s forte, the always-smiling Belgian instead showcasing his enthusiasm for the game with a vibrant style of play, but his second-half display against Brazil proved that unlike circa-2014, this Hazard is much more circumspect and understands only panache cannot win you cups, resilience is equally significant.

Belgium’s foray into the last four of a World Cup was a long-time coming, the country’s golden generation of footballers hoping to improve upon their Maradona-orchestrated semi-final loss 32 years ago. Roberto Martinez may not be the finest tactician in Russia this summer, but he has adapted tremendously based on Belgium’s oppositions and his players’ abilities – unafraid to change tried and tested methods should there be a need for it.

On Tuesday, Belgium will be up against arguably the strongest of remaining four teams in France. While Belgium’s hopes do not rest on any single individual, the onus for leading from the front will once again fall on their skipper Eden Hazard who can very well emulate his former club captain Terry to showcase another inspiring performance and be rightfully heralded as Belgium’s captain, leader, legend!

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