Agent Eden? Hazard returns to football and notches stunning assist - for Mbappe

Tom Weber

• Updated: 19 Oct 2023 07:42 BST
• 4 min read

Eden Hazard returned to football and immediately showed his class with a lovely assist for Mbappe.

What sounds like a fever dream actually did transpire on Wednesday evening. Just eight days after hanging up his boots, Hazard returned to the pitch - in a charity match. And the Belgian recorded a stunning backheel assist for Mbappe - Wilfried Mbappe, Kylian's father.

The Chelsea legend suited up for Varietes CF, a French club founded in 1971 that seeks to bring together football stars for charity matches to raise funds for a good cause. Before he retired, Hazard agreed to line up for the side in a game in the French town of Calais.

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Although only about 5,000 people showed up to the 12,000-capacity ground, the game was still a success as nearly €15,000 were raised for the Yellow Coins charity. The game featured legends such as Jens Lehmann, Robert Pires and current France men's coach Didier Deschamps, but Hazard was the star of the show given that he had only just retired after being released by Real Madrid in the summer.

Agent Hazard?

The game itself was a rout as the legends battered their opponents 11-2, with Hazard notching a goal and six assists. It was the Belgian's first outing since May, but his stats speak for themselves.

Curiously, Hazard's fifth assist was for Mbappe, Wilfried Mbappe. The father of the French megastar also featured in the match and Hazard expertly set him up with a lovely backheel.

READ: PSG give Mbappe ONE-WEEK deadline to decide on Real Madrid transfer

The elder Mbappe made no mistake, sending the keeper the wrong way with a fake shot that his son would have been proud of before stroking the ball into the gaping net. This prompted a response from Kylian on Twitter, commenting on a video of the goal: "I died laughing!"

Kylian Mbappe was linked with a shock move to Chelsea in the summer where Hazard is of course revered as a legend. However, the Belgian also played for Real Madrid for whom the PSG star is expected to sign in 2024. Perhaps Agent Hazard put in a good word for either of his former clubs.

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