Eden Hazard named Zinedine Zidane and three other legendary players as the true 'artists' of football

Chelsea legend Eden Hazard has listed four iconic players as the best 'artists' in football.

Having won 14 major trophies across three different leagues, Hazard is often regarded as one of the most talented forwards in the history of football.

The winger became a legend at Lille, Chelsea and Real Madrid, not just for his impressive output, but also for how he played football as fans fell in love with his slick skills and creativity.

But, there are four other players that the Belgian has picked as the real artists of the game, and together they would an unbeatable team.

In recent years, several players across Europe have wowed fans with their ability to control a game purely due to their ability, and therefore have been described as artists.

But for Hazard, there are just four players that stand out to him as the very best.

"For me, the artists are Zidane and Ronaldinho, Riquelme... And then there is Messi," revealed the forward when speaking with UEFA in 2017.

All four men named are viewed as some of the very best to play the beautiful game and it comes as no surprise that Hazard picked them as the true artists of football.

Zinedine Zidane established himself as a legend of Hazard's former club Real Madrid after making 227 appearances for the Spanish side, scoring 49 goals, assisting another 67 and winning six trophies.

His achievements with Madrid, Juventus and also France, who he helped lead to World Cup glory in 1998, is why he is widely considered to be one of the greatest midfielders of all time, winning several awards, including the Ballon d'Or.

Despite their clear talents, it is perhaps more surprising, that Hazard also named Ronaldinho, Riquelme and Lionel Messi in his top four given their importance to Madrid's historic rivals Barcelona.

Ronaldinho and Riquelme played alongside each other at the La Liga side and became synonymous for the attractive style of football played by the club at the time.

Ronaldinho has played alongside both Lionel Messi and Riquelme at Barcelona. (Image: Getty)

The Brazilian made 207 appearances for Barca, scoring 94 goals and winning five trophies while also collecting the 2002 World Cup and the 2005 Ballon d'Or.

Meanwhile Riquelme made only 42 appearances for the Spanish giants, spending most of his career with Boca Juniors, where he currently works as club President.

However, one player that both men made many appearances with is the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi who recently cemented himself as the greatest player of all time in many people's eyes after claiming the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.

Across 1083 appearances on the pitch for clubs like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, Messi has scored an incredible 850 goals while assisting 379.