The Ballon D'or roll of honour for 2013 was very much a triumph for the established elite of world football, as Ronaldo, Messi and Ribery made up the top three. In fourth place, came the 32-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is still proving himself a world-class performer. Hazard has only just turned 23, while Messi is 26, Ronaldo is 29, and Ribery is 30. It could be argued that the only way is down for the current top four, while Hazard still has room to fill out his statistical record books and trophy cabinets. When Hazard is 26, one would suspect that the usual suspects will be on the wane, although that would be no disgrace given their fine careers to date. Hazard's main rival, at least in the Premier League, in terms of future awards and medals, is Luis Suarez. You could argue that Suarez already has the domstic awards sewn up for this season, considering his unbelievable run of form for Liverpool, but the Uruguayan's controversies may yet detract from his footballing genius. Hazard has shown his ability - can he deliver on a consistent basis, enough to one day win a Ballon D'or of his own? The answer would have to be yes.
I am from Bangor, aged 24, and possess an MA in Journalism from The University Of Ulster. I have had work published in the Belfast Telegraph and interviewed several local footballers and Olympic athletes. I also run my own sports blog, 'Sporting Thought' in addition to contributing to What Culture.
