Former Belgium winger Eden Hazard has shared his predictions for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He predicted the winner of the trophy and the Golden Boot, the finalists, and also named his dark horses for the tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already begun in the US, Canada, and Mexico, with Round 1 fixtures now over. Ahead of the second round of the group games, Belgium icon Eden Hazard shared his predictions for the tournament. Chelsea shared a video of their former winger at Stamford Bridge.
Sharing his prediction for the Golden Boot, he said:
"I think my top goal scorer is going to be, Kylian Mbappe."
When asked about the potential finalists, he said:
"I think my finalists are going to be: France, Spain or maybe Belgium. The winner is going to be Belgium, I hope so!"
The former Belgium winger added:
Finally, naming his dark horses for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Hazard said:
"I think the dark horses are, I think it's going to be Ecuador, because they have Caicedo and we are Chelsea. So, I'm going for Caicedo and Ecuador."
Hazard, meanwhile, retired from professional football in 2023. In his career, he made 126 appearances for Belgium, scoring 33 goals and providing 36 assists. This includes three goals and four assists in 14 games at the World Cup.
Belgium play out a draw in their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup game
While Eden Hazard is backing them to reach the final, Belgium had a tough start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. They played out a 1-1 draw against Egypt at the at the Seattle Stadium on June 15.
The Pharaohs took the lead in the 20th minute with an excellent strike from outside the box from Emam Ashour. However, Romelu Lukaku forced Mohamed Hany into conceding an own goal in the 66th minute, just minutes after coming off the bench.
It was a rather even game, with the Red Devils barely dominating possession with 53%. They made 15 attempts on goal, with three being on target, as compared to Egypt's 14 attempts with four being on target. It was even level in terms of discipline with 15 fouls and two yellow cards each.
After Iran and New Zealand also played out a 2-2 draw, Group G is all square. Belgium will next face Iran at the Los Angeles Stadium on June 21 and New Zealand at BC Place in Vancouver on June 26.