Eden Hazard, leader on and off the pitch of Belgium's "golden generation", said a fond farewell to the national team on Saturday at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, where he was honoured after retiring from international football at the age of 32. It was a farewell in which he also remembered Real Madrid and his time with the Spanish team.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Hazard said to the fans after Belgium's 1-1 draw against Austria in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, as Gala's 'Freed from Desire' played.
The programme included Hazard throwing 33 balls into the stands (yes, 33), one for every goal he scored for the Red Devils in 126 games between 2008 and 2022.
The attacker, who marked an era in Belgium and dazzled at French club Lille (2007-2012), marvelled at English club Chelsea (2012-2019) and failed through injury at Real Madrid (2019-2023), had entered the stadium in a convertible to follow the game from the stands.
It was a rare game without Hazard and the injured Kevin de Bruyne on the pitch, beacons of the Belgian side over the last decade.
After the match and the subsequent celebrations and commemorative photos, the player spoke to public broadcaster RTBF, where he was sincere and friendly, although he did not reveal what the future holds for him after the termination of his contract with Real Madrid beyond confirming, with a resounding "yes", that he is physically fit to continue playing.
"At the same time, I've been resting for the last two years, so I've got energy," he joked about his limited involvement with Madrid.
The former Belgium captain, who led his side to third place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, also tried to recall what he considers his best game for the Red Devils, referring to a match against Bosnia in 2017 in Russia qualifying.
"We were losing, and we ended up winning something like 4-3. I had a festival, a festival," he said, smiling after closing his 14 years with his country's national team.
Local newspaper Sudinfo reported that the federation had asked the player who he wanted to invite to the tribute and what he wanted for dinner on an emotional day.
"Above all, don't do anything special, a burger and fries will do," replied Hazard, who is appreciated in Belgium for his talent in the past but also for his good humour and simplicity.