Hazard reveals he never wanted Ronaldo’s No.7 at Real Madrid, saying he aimed to play as himself rather than replace the Portuguese star

Former Belgium international and ex-Real Madrid midfielder Eden Hazard has revealed that he never intended to wear Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic number 7 shirt following his move to the Spanish giants in 2019.

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Hazard Real Madrid No.7 shirt revelation came during an interview with Canal Plus, where the former Chelsea star reflected on his difficult spell at the Santiago Bernabéu, which was heavily affected by injuries and fitness setbacks.

Eden Hazard joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in a €100 million transfer shortly after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from the club, a move that placed immediate expectations on him to fill a symbolic void.

However, Hazard stated that he had no desire to replace Ronaldo and wanted to be recognised for his own style of play rather than live up to the Portuguese forward’s legacy.

“I went there to play like Eden, not to replace Ronaldo,” Hazard said, adding that he did not want the number 7 shirt at all.

The former playmaker explained that he had hoped to take Luka Modrić’s number 10 jersey instead, but his request was not granted.

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Hazard’s time in Spain ultimately fell short of expectations, with injuries limiting his impact and reducing his appearances over four seasons.