Belgium captain Eden Hazard reveals he grew up supporting France ahead of World Cup semi-final

France fan: Eden Hazard has revealed he grew up supporting Les Bleus
AFP/Getty Images
Tom Dutton9 July 2018

Belgium captain Eden Hazard has revealed he grew up supporting World Cup semi-final opponents France.

The Chelsea star, 27, has scored two goals in four games to help fire the Red Devils into the last four for the first time since 1986.

Hazard moved to Lille aged 14, and both he and Belgium coach Thierry Henry will have divided loyalties when the teams line up in St Petersburg on Tuesday evening.

Henry won the World Cup with France in 1998, while it was that Les Bleus side which inspired Hazard when he was growing up in a French-speaking region of Belgium.

“With my brothers, we have always been more supporters of France than Belgium because we grew up with ‘98," Hazard said.

“At the time, there wasn’t the jersey of Belgium, that's why we wore the one of France.

“I do not want to denigrate the Belgium team of the time, there were very good players, but at that time, it was France.”

Meanwhile, Hazard fears Chelsea team-mate N'Golo Kante could prove the difference in Tuesday's semi-final.

Last four: Hazard celebrates during victory over Brazil
AFP/Getty Images

The two-time Premier League winner has impressed for Didier Deschamps's side in Russia and Hazard believes France have a "95 per cent chance of winning" if the midfielder is at full tilt.

He warned: “For me, he’s the best in the world at his job.

“If Kante is on top, you have 95 per cent chance of winning.

“It's up to us to do whatever it takes to stop him from picking up the ball.”

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