Hazard reveals why Real Madrid No. 7 was never his first choice

Eden Hazard has opened up about the pressure that followed his move to Real Madrid and insisted he was never there to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Belgian joined Madrid from Chelsea in 2019 for a fee of around €100 million, arriving one year after Ronaldo’s departure. He was given the famous number seven shirt, immediately placing him under even greater scrutiny at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Hazard says the idea that he was signed to become the new Ronaldo came from outside the club, not from him.

Speaking to Canal Plus, Hazard said the comparison never made sense because he and Ronaldo were completely different types of players.

“Succeeding Cristiano at Real Madrid wasn’t a burden because, in my opinion, I wasn’t there to replace him,” Hazard said. “It’s the media who say, ‘he’s going to replace Ronaldo.’ I think I have a completely different style of play than him. I couldn’t score 60 or 70 goals a year. In fact, throughout my entire career, I barely scored that many.”

Hazard arrived in Spain as one of the best creative forwards in Europe after a brilliant spell at Chelsea. But his time at Real Madrid never reached the level many expected. Injuries, fitness problems and inconsistent form disrupted his four seasons at the club.

The former Belgium international also revealed that he did not even want the number seven shirt when he arrived.

Instead, Hazard hoped to wear Luka Modric’s number 10, but the Croatian midfielder had no intention of giving it up.

“I went there to play like Eden, not to replace Ronaldo,” Hazard said. “But, as often happens, things didn’t go well. I didn’t want number 7. I wanted Luka Modric’s number 10. I thought he was going to say, ‘okay, take it,’ but he didn’t give it to me.”

Hazard’s comments underline how difficult his Madrid move became before he had even settled on the pitch. The shirt, the fee and the timing of his arrival all created expectations that were almost impossible to escape.

For Hazard, the frustration is clear. He did not see himself as Ronaldo’s replacement, but the story around his transfer made that comparison unavoidable.