Eden Hazard’s Subtle ‘War’ With Ronaldo Continues As He Openly Declares His Preference for Messi

• Eden Hazard prefers Lionel Messi to his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo
• He believes Ronaldo is a goal scorer while Messi is a 'magician'
• Hazard and CR7 have been at 'loggerheads' for some time now

The simmering tension between Eden Hazard and Cristiano Ronaldo shows no signs of abating, as the former Chelsea and Real Madrid attacker openly expressed his favouritism towards Lionel Messi.

Having retired from professional football at the tender age of 32, Hazard recently drew comparisons between himself and the Portuguese superstar, asserting his superiority in terms of "pure football."

This assertion sparked debate on social media, with fans dissecting Hazard's definition of "pure football" and weighing it against Ronaldo's prolific career.

While some echoed Hazard's sentiments, others staunchly defended the Al-Nassr captain, pointing to his evolution from a winger to a goal-scoring phenomenon as evidence of his footballing prowess.

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Hazard disagrees with Ronaldo

Adding fuel to the fire, the former Belgian international also disagreed with Ronaldo's assertion that the Saudi Pro League surpasses Ligue 1, the French league where Hazard showcased his talents with LOSC Lille, per The Mirror.

As of now, the legendary Portuguese footballer has yet to respond to the 33-year-old's comments, despite the latter inheriting his iconic No. 7 jersey at Real Madrid following Ronaldo's departure in 2018.

Hazard picks between Ronaldo and Messi

In another statement concerning Cristiano, the 33-year-old acknowledged CR7 as the greatest goal-scorer in football history but reaffirmed his personal preference for Messi, Ronaldo's perennial rival.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest scorer in history. He will bring you trophies. He will score goals even when he is 50 years old, but I prefer Messi’s style of play,” he said as quoted by The Nassr Zone.

Hazard spots difference between Madrid and Chelsea

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The Belgian star, who represented both Real Madrid and Chelsea, provided insight into the contrasting cultures of winning between Madrid and the London-based side, as reported by Sports Brief.

In a recent interview, Hazard elaborated that at Madrid, the pressure to win was palpable, with visible discontent if the team faced a loss.

He juxtaposed this with his experience at Chelsea, where he described a more relaxed atmosphere following defeats. Hazard amassed 352 appearances for the Blues, netting 110 goals, whereas he made only 76 appearances for Los Blancos.