'I'd Give it to Me': Eden Hazard Claims He Should Win the World Cup Golden Ball
The Golden Ball rarely goes to a player from a team that didn't win the World Cup, but that's not stopping Eden Hazard from making his case.
The race for the World Cup Golden Ball is wide open going into the final day of the tournament.
Luka Modric is perhaps the current favorite for leading Croatia to their first final, but victory for France could see Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe or N'Golo Kante steal the accolade instead.
Belgium's defeat in the semifinals damaged Eden Hazard's prospects, but he did score his third goal of the tournament as the Red Devils beat England in Saturday's third-place playoff.
And there's at least one man who thinks that Eden Hazard should win the Golden Ball: Eden Hazard.
"I'd give it to me," Hazard said when asked who would win the award, as quoted by Sport. "But, of course, I don't choose. I think they'll give it to someone who is playing in the final."
Since the introduction of the Golden Ball in 1982, it has only been won by a player not playing in the final twice: Salvatore Schillaci in 1990 and Diego Forlan in 2010.
Even though Belgium did not reach the final, Hazard has a very good case. With three goals and two assists at the tournament, only Harry Kane has directly contributed to more goals than the Chelsea winger.
It's this sort of confidence/arrogance which Hazard will need to be a success at Real Madrid, if he completes a move to the Spanish capital this summer as many are expecting him to.
Speaking after the England match, Hazard hinted that his time at Chelsea could be coming to an end.
"After six wonderful years at Chelsea it might be time to discover something different," he said. "You know my preferred destination."
Hazard's Belgium and Chelsea teammate Thibaut Courtois has also been strongly linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
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