1+2) Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – Barcelona and Real Madrid
In the Telegraph interview Hazard called these two the “extra-terrestrials”, which shows that he is aware how far ahead of the rest they are. Hazard has all the physical abilities and technical skill of these two, but will never reach their level without learning from them. First he must copy Ronaldo’s incredible work ethic and determination, his ceaseless desire for self-improvement both physically and statistically. Ronaldo has not eased off in the slightest since he became the world’s (joint) best, and Hazard must show the same dedication is he is to reach the Madrid man’s level.
Messi’s gifts on the pitch are far more subtle and almost impossible to emulate. But like Ronaldo, so much of his value is off the pitch. Despite the endless rumours about his bad character, the fact is that Messi has never let incidents off the pitch distract him. He is the world’s (joint) best player, but he is always humble and avoids celebrity status as much as possible. Hazard has done well not to get caught up in the life of a superstar so far, and must maintain that good reputation as his career progresses.