Real Madrid Star Convinced He's 'Better' Than Cristiano Ronaldo But Not Lionel Messi

A Real Madrid star revealed where he stands in comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

A few years ago, Eden Hazard was one of the most celebrated soccer superstars in the world.

He became a household name in the English Premier League, having bagged a staggering 85 goals in 245 league appearances and won the 2015 Player of the Season award.

However, Hazard has yet to make an impact in Real Madrid since his record-setting move from Chelsea.

Looking back at Hazard’s time with the Blues, former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel revealed that his then-phenomenal teammate once made a bold claim about Ronaldo and Messi.

According to Mikel, Hazard acknowledged that Messi was a cut above the rest but was certain at the time that he’s “maybe even better” than Ronaldo.

Hazard's comments to teammate John Obi Mikel regarding Messi and Ronaldo are particularly interesting.

"I've always said that one of the players who was the most gifted, had everything - pace, power, skill, technique - is Eden Hazard,” Mikel told The Athletic. "He was just behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But it was only if he wanted to be. He was that good. He said it himself sometimes, 'If I want to be as good, I can be as good. Not as good as Messi because he is from a different planet, but I think I can get close to Ronaldo or maybe even better.’”

"These are the words that came out of his [Hazard’s] mouth, but he is not that dedicated to the game,” he added. “He doesn't train well, he is the worst trainer I've played with."

With an array of accolades to his name, Hazard once had the right to make such claims.

Injuries have hampered Hazard’s progress, but many are still wondering how the prolific goalscorer suddenly dwindled in form.

As per Hazard himself, soccer isn’t just about scoring goals. In fact, he considers himself as more of an “assisting guy” rather than a goalscorer.

“The feeling is the same when you see the ball in the net,” Hazard said last year. “In my mind, I'm not just thinking about scoring goals, scoring goals, scoring goals. Some players now just think about scoring goals. And me? I'm more the kind of player who can create something. That's why I like to say that I'm more of an assisting guy than a scoring machine.”

“I prefer to make assists, but I also like the feeling when you score a beautiful goal, a last-minute goal, and you win the game at the end,” he explained.