Ranking Belgium's 5 greatest players of the 21st century

Eden Hazard (left) and Kevin De Bruyne have been the heartbeat for Belgium in recent times.
Eden Hazard (left) and Kevin De Bruyne have been the heartbeat for Belgium in recent times.

#3 Eden Hazard

Finland vs Belgium - UEFA Euro 2020: Group B
Finland vs Belgium - UEFA Euro 2020: Group B

Eden Hazard was born in La Louviere, Belgium, in 1991. He came through the youth ranks at Lille, and made his senior debut for them in 2007. The Belgium captain plays mainly as a winger, but has also started games in the false 9 role. He has notably represented Chelsea, and now plays for Real Madrid.

Hazard has made 604 career appearances, scoring 165 goals and providing 158 assists. He is most well-known for his time at Chelsea (2012-19) where he wreaked havoc with his performances. He has won four domestic league titles, two domestic cups and two UEFA Europa League titles.

Eden Hazard was named the Premier League's Player of the Season following Chelsea's title win in 2014-15. The Belgian had a season to remember, bagging three individual awards.

Hazard is currently Belgium's captain. He has made 116 appearances for his nation, scoring 33 goals. He ranks second in their all-time goalscoring list and fourth in the list of all-time appearances. He was part of the Belgian squad that finished third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The Belgium international currently plays for Real Madrid, and will hope to play a key role in their quest for the La Liga title this season.


#2 Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne has been a key player for Manchester City and Belgium over the years.
Kevin De Bruyne has been a key player for Manchester City and Belgium over the years.

Kevin De Bruyne was born in Drongen, Belgium, in 1991. He began his youth career at Genk, and made his senior debut for the club in 2008. Following spells at Chelsea, Werder Bremen and VfL Wolfsburg, KDB established himself as a top-class player at Manchester City, where he is still playing.

De Bruyne has made 511 career appearances, scoring 120 goals and providing 197 assists. He is well-renowned for his passing ability, vision, technique on the ball, strikes from distance and two-footedness. KDB is among the most decorated Belgian players of all time. He has won four domestic league titles and ten domestic cups, among others.

The Belgium international was named the Premier League Player of the Season and UEFA's Midfielder of the Year for his scintillating displays in the 2019-20 season.

In 2019-20, he provided his 20th assist of the Premier League season to match the league's assists record (20) set by Arsenal's Thierry Henry in 2002-03.

Kevin De Bruyne has made 88 appearances for Belgium, and is one short of equalling Vincent Kompany in tenth place in Belgium's all-time appearances list. He has bagged 23 goals and 45 assists, and is joint-tenth in Belgium's all-time scoring list.

The midfielder has enjoyed a stellar campaign with a rampant Manchester City team this season. They sit atop the Premier League at the halfway mark of the season as they eye their fourth league title in five years.


#1 Romelu Lukaku

Belgium vs France UEFA Nations League 2021 Semi-final
Belgium vs France UEFA Nations League 2021 Semi-final

Romelu Lukaku was born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1993. He came through the youth ranks at Anderlecht, and made his senior debut for the club in 2009. A physical striker, Lukaku commands the box, and bosses around defenders. He has represented the likes of Manchester United and Inter Milan, and is currently in his second spell at Chelsea.

The Belgium international has made 539 career appearances, scoring 265 goals and providing 98 assists. He uses his 6' 3" frame to great effect, bullying opposition defenders to score goals. Lukaku has won one Belgian Pro League title and one Serie A title during his career.

In his debut season for Inter Milan, Lukaku tied Ronaldo Nazario's record of 34 goals.

The powerful striker has also made 101 appearances for Belgium, and ranks sixth in their all-time appearances list. He has scored 68 goals and provided 15 assists for them. Lukaku is Belgium's all-time top scorer, having achieved the feat when he was only 24.

The striker recently made his return after an over 100-day absence in the Premier League. He came on as a substitute for Chelsea against Aston Villa, scoring in their 3-1 away win.

Lukaku will hope to continue being a menace in the penalty box as he guns for the Golden Boot award this season.

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