Hazard: I Can Still Win Ballon d’Or

Eden Hazard still believes he can win the Ballon d’Or, according to his younger brother Kylian.

The Chelsea attacker endured a torrid season in 2015-16, suffering a goal drought as the Blues slipped to a tenth-placed finish, but the Belgium international ended the season with four goals in five games and also led the assist chart at Euro 2016.

Hazard has already set his sights on reclaiming the PFA Player of the Year award he won in 2014-15, but his sibling, who plays for Ujpest in Hungary, insists that he is aiming even higher.

“That’s his aim, yes, but he needs to keep working and working, he knows that. [He wants] to get better and better but he has already shown that he still can do it.”

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain the frontrunners to win an award they have dominated for almost a decade, with the Barcelona star winning the Ballon d’Or five times in the last eight years and Ronaldo claiming the other three in the same period.

Ronaldo led his country to international success and Kylian says that his brother enjoyed the challenge of leading his country at Euro 2016, despite their early exit at the hands of Wales.

“I think he really likes being the captain,” Kylian added. “He is a leader and wanted to show Belgium that he could step up to the challenge and do the job for his country. I was proud of Eden taking over from Kompany, it was a big thing for him and he did a great job.”

“Eden is really happy with his form, the last six games for his club and then at the Euros he was Belgium’s best player. He was even good against Wales where the rest of the team maybe weren’t at his level but against Hungary he was just so good.”