Eden Hazard makes honest admission about Ballon d’Or chances

Eden Hazard believes a lot of players are ahead of him in the reckoning to win the Ballon d’Or.
The Chelsea forward is on the 30-man shortlist for the accolade but he believes he has little chance of success and the award should go to Cristiano Ronaldo.

‘I think a lot of players are better than me but I am happy to be in the last 30 players,’ he told Sky Sports.
Hazard has been touted as a future winner of the award, however the Belgium international says it is not currently a focus for him.

Hazard was part of the side beaten by Crystal Palace yesterday (Getty)

‘I don’t know if in the future I can have the chance to win the Ballon d’Or but it is not my objective now,’ he said.
‘My objective is to play and to enjoy myself on the pitch. For the last 10 years, it has always been Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, but Neymar is coming and a couple of others so we will see when Messi and Ronaldo stop playing.
‘I think this year Ronaldo deserves it because he won with Portugal, he won La Liga and he won the Champions League.
‘If I want to win it in the future then I need to win everything [with my club and Belgium].’

Ballon d'Or winners

2007: Kaka
2008: Ronaldo
2009: Messi
2010: Messi
2011: Messi
2012: Messi
2013: Ronaldo
2014: Ronaldo
2015: Messi
2016: Ronaldo

Hazard is joined on the shortlist by his Chelsea team-mate N’Golo Kante and he puts the recognition he’s received down to him and rest of his colleagues.
‘I know I am on this list because I play for Chelsea and because I have great teammates and they help me to be on this list.’