Eden Hazard was quizzed on why he'd gained weight by a reporter, who later asked for a selfie with the Belgian.
The Real Madrid star was taking questions from the media and appeared surprised when he was asked about his physique. Hazard has struggled to have an impact on this World Cup and was largely ineffective during his country's surprise defeat by Morocco on Sunday.
Hazard's career has nosedived since leaving Chelsea for Los Blancos in 2019. Persistent injury issues, a lack of minutes and form has seen his stock fall. However the 31-year-old has seen his figure come in for criticism - and it was again bought up in his press conference.
A journalist asked in Arabic: "We noticed that you have gained a little weight." Hazard was taken back by the question and asked for it to be repeated. "Recently, we noticed that you have gained weight. How are you dealing with this and what caused it?" said the reporter.
Hazard hit back, stating: "No, that's not true. My weight has remained stable. I always work hard on my fitness and I think that's the most important thing."
The playmaker's weight has been an issue in recent years with the Belgian reporting back to Madrid training five kilograms overweight back in 2020. The player admitted his size can fluctuate, but was adamant he could lose weight as quickly as he put it on. "It's true, I cannot lie, if I'm on holiday, then I'm on holiday," he said at the time.
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The journalist not only had the audacity to ask the question - he then opted to ask for a selfie, according to Belgian publication Het Nieuwsblad. Unsurprisingly his offer was firmly rejected by Hazard.
The individual claimed a snap of himself and the Madrid player would have made for a nice memory and stood by his line of questioning. "I did indeed ask for a selfie with him. Because like I said, he is a big star. It would have been a nice keepsake for me. But he didn't go into it. Just like with all the other journalists," he said.
"I think he seems to have gained a bit more weight compared to Belgium's practice match against Egypt. I wanted to know if there was a particular reason behind it and how he will change it. That's why I asked the question. Was he angry when he had to answer it? Perhaps. But Eden Hazard is a big star in football. When he transferred to Real Madrid, everyone expected him to make a big impact. Only he was always injured."
