Eden Hazard is a former football player who played for Real Madrid. His career at Real Madrid was plagued by injuries, which began in his first season when he sustained a thigh injury in pre-season. Hazard also showed up in Madrid overweight in the summer of 2019, which may have contributed to his injury problems. He missed close to 80 matches in his four-year spell at Real Madrid due to persistent injury issues. Hazards injury problems began to accumulate at a worrying speed, and he missed 61 games by the end of 2021. He had ankle surgery and had a metal plate inserted, which caused further problems before being removed two years later. Hazards decline was also attributed to long-term fatigue, and he was not the most dedicated in terms of physical conditioning. He retired from international football in December 2022, following a shock group-stage exit at Qatar 2022, after admitting he felt uncomfortable getting opportunities when younger. On June 3, 2023, Real Madrid confirmed that Hazard would leave the club after reaching an agreement to rescind his contract a year early. On September 26, 2023, Hazard announced his retirement at the age of 32 after an injury-hit spell at Real Madrid that belied his brilliance at Chelsea.