The Argentina and Portugal icons were both eliminated from the World Cup on Saturday, presenting the Chelsea man with a chance to impress.Belgium playmaker Eden Hazard hopes to seize on the early departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to become the star of the World Cup.
Argentina lost 4-3 to France in the first match of the round of 16 on Saturday , and Portugal joined them in making a swift exit when they were beaten 2-1 by Uruguay later the same day . The absence of two players who have monopolised the Ballon d’Or and dominated the headlines at club and international level for more than a decade has left room for a rival to grab the spotlight in Russia, where the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe loom as potential replacements.
Speaking ahead of his team’s meeting with Japan in Rostov-on-Don, Hazard welcomed suggestions it could be his time to make an impact on the big stage. “I hope so, they’re not in the World Cup, so now it’s time to shine,” he said. “Yeah, I just want to go through the quarter-final, semi-final and maybe the final.