“He said it himself” – Mikel once claimed how Eden Hazard had clear private preference on GOAT debate about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Eden Hazard's former Chelsea teammate John Obi Mikel once claimed that the Belgian settled the GOAT debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Mikel made it clear that Hazard was firmly of the opinion that Messi was the better of the two. He claimed that the former Belgium international couldn't compare himself to the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner because he was from a different planet.

He lavished praise on his former teammate, telling The Athletic back in 2021:

“I’ve always said that one of the players who was the most gifted, had everything — pace, power, skill, technique — is Eden Hazard. He was just behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But it was only if he wanted to be. He was that good."

The Nigerian went on to claim that Hazard didn't plan on trying to rival Messi but thought he could become as good or even better than Ronaldo.

"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,’" he added.

Hazard has announced his retirement from professional football today (October 10), bringing an end to his 15-year career. It was while he was at Chelsea that many could draw comparisons between the Belgian winger to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The 32-year-old was a revelation at Stamford Bridge from 2012 to 2019, bagging 110 goals and 92 assists in 352 games across competitions. His agility, movement, and goalscoring prowess were a sight to behold.

However, Hazard's €115 million move to Real Madrid in 2019 saw his career take a nosedive. He was plagued by injury issues throughout his spell at the Santiago Bernabeu, managing just seven goals and 12 assists in 76 games across competitions.

The Chelsea hero may have been looking to match Cristiano Ronaldo but it was a tough ask. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is the most prolific player in history, bagging 726 goals and 231 assists in 979 club games. He's also netted 123 goals and 44 assists in 201 caps for Portugal.

Meanwhile, Hazard's claim that Lionel Messi is from another planet was merited given his extraordinary career. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has bagged 721 goals and 344 assists in 888 club games and 104 goals and 56 assists in 176 caps for Argentina.

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Egypt boss insists Mohamed Salah sits alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as an all-time great

Mohamed Salah has become a hero at Liverpool.

Egypt manager Rui Vitoria reckons Mohamed Salah has earned a place alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as legends who will leave a lasting legacy. The Portuguese coach told Record (via GOAL):

“Salah is very important in our national team. And these players, who are world figures, are in fact very important in the various teams they represent. We remember a Messi, we remember a Cristiano Ronaldo, we remember a Salah, maybe Neymar, [Kylian] Mbappe. The big teams have a player like this. And our Salah brings great positivity to the whole group."

Salah will go down as one of the greatest African players in history amid a stunning career at Liverpool. He's bagged 192 goals and 83 assists in 315 games at Anfield.

The 31-year-old has also starred at international level with Egypt, managing 49 goals and 29 assists in 89 caps. He's won the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup during his career.