Ballon d'Or 2019: Top 10 Contenders for the Award at the start of May 2019

Modified May 03, 2019 03:35 GMT

The Ballon d'Or could be back in familiar hands this year

#8 Eden Hazard (Belgium, Chelsea)

Chelsea FC v Brighton & Hove Albion - Premier League

The Belgian has been on the fringes of the award for quite a few seasons now, but has never broken into the top three. He finished in the 19th position in 2017, with 16 votes, while last year, he finished 8th with 119 votes. This time too, the Belgian finds himself among the contenders by virtue of a fine season so far with Chelsea.

Much was spoken before the start of the season about how Sarri's tactics could render the diminutive Belgian ineffective. However, Hazard seems to have squashed all those talks and has enjoyed quite a fruitful season so far. He has scored 19 goals and registered 13 assists from 46 games so far. Only once in his career has he scored more goals in a season - in his final breakthrough season with Lille.

As such, it is hard to deny that Hazard is in the form of his life and it is only fitting that Real Madrid might swoop in for him in the summer. Interestingly, the Belgian is averaging 3.6 dribbles per game in the Premier League and 4.4 dribbles per game in the UEFA Europa League.

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Edited by Mustafa Ismail