Eden Hazard is considered by many to be in the bracket just below Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The Belgian has returned to his best for Chelsea this season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions and receiving a nomination for the PFA Player of the Year award.
N’Golo Kante has earned all the plaudits - indeed, he beat Hazard to the coveted PFA award - but the 26-year-old has played an integral role in the Blues’ bid to win the Premier League title.
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“Hazard has improved his movement and, of course, he is Chelsea’s ace, just like Cristiano was ours,” Ferdinand wrote for The Times, per Goal.
“Playing against him, I found that when he received the ball his awareness of where people are was brilliant and his low centre of gravity meant he could roll people.”
Hazard: I want to win the Ballon d'Or
Hazard would probably be in contention to win the Ballon d’Or if not for Messi and Ronaldo, who have made the competition a two-horse race since 2008.And the former Lille man knows that the La Liga superstars have made it incredibly difficult for any other player to win the award.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hazard expressed his desire to win the Ballon d’Or before he retires.
"I hope to win the Ballon d'Or one day," the Belgian said. "It's in my mind. If I don't, it won't be a problem. I try to make a good career - the best I can - but I think some other players deserve to win it also.”
Hazard names three players who can replace Messi and CR7
Hazard isn’t the only player in that category below Messi and Ronaldo. There are a number of players vying to replace them at the top, and the Belgium international named three players who he believes have the potential to do so.He continued: “When Ronaldo and Messi retire, maybe it will be another couple of players like Neymar, Paulo Dybala or Antoine Griezmann, who knows? We will see. It's not something I think too much about."
Neymar and Griezmann have both finished third in Ballon d’Or voting, while Juventus star Dybala has made a name for himself in the Champions League this season.
But they will all have to wait some time before Messi and Ronaldo hang up their boots. Messi, 29, is showing no signs of slowing down while his Real Madrid rival wants to play into his forties.
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