Thorgan Hazard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Thorgan Hazard

Hazard with Borussia Dortmund in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth	(1993-03-29) 29 March 1993 (age 32)
Place of birth	La Louvière, Belgium
Height	1.75 m
Playing position	Attacking midfielder / Winger
Club information
Current club	Anderlecht
Number	11
Youth career
1998–2003	Royal Stade Brainois
2003–2007	AFC Tubize
2007–2011	Lens
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2011–2012	Lens	14	(0)
2012–2015	Chelsea	0	(0)
2012–2014	→ Zulte Waregem (loan)	73	(18)
2014–2015	→ Borussia Mönchengladbach (loan)	28	(1)
2015–2019	Borussia Mönchengladbach	119	(30)
2019–2023	Borussia Dortmund	87	(12)
2023	→ PSV (loan)	9	(1)
2023–	Anderlecht	25	(5)
National team‡
2008	Belgium U15	3	(0)
2008–2009	Belgium U16	12	(4)
2008–2010	Belgium U17	12	(1)
2010	Belgium U18	1	(0)
2010–2012	Belgium U19	23	(10)
2012–2014	Belgium U21	10	(1)
2013–	Belgium	47	(9)
Honours Men's football Representing  Belgium FIFA World Cup Third 2018
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 January 2025. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 December 2022

Thorgan Ganael Francis Hazard (born on March 29, 1993) is a Belgian professional footballer. He plays as an attacking midfielder or winger. Currently, he plays for the Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht. He also plays for the Belgium national team.

Thorgan started his career at Lens in France. In 2012, he moved to Chelsea in England. He never played a main game for Chelsea. Instead, he was loaned to Zulte Waregem for two years. There, he won the Belgian Golden Shoe in 2014. This award is for the best footballer in the Belgian Pro League. He also won the prize for best professional football player.

In 2014, he joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany. He first joined on loan, then permanently. He played over 100 games for them. In 2019, he moved to Borussia Dortmund. In 2023, Hazard played for PSV on loan. Later in 2023, he joined Anderlecht.

Thorgan played for all levels of Belgium's youth teams. He played his first senior international game in May 2013. This was against the United States. He was part of the Belgian team that finished third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. His older brother, Eden, was also on that team. His younger brothers, Kylian and Ethan, are also footballers.

Thorgan Hazard's Early Life

Thorgan Hazard grew up in Braine-le-Comte, a small town in Belgium. He was born in La Louvière. His first name comes from a Belgian comic strip called Thorgal. Football was a big part of his family life. Both his mother, Carine, and father, Thierry, were footballers in Belgium.

His father played for most of his career at a semi-professional level. He was a defensive midfielder for Louviéroise. His mother played as a striker in the top women's league. She stopped playing when she was three months pregnant with Eden. After playing, both parents became physical education teachers. Thierry stopped teaching in 2009 to focus on his children's football careers.

Thorgan has three brothers. His older brother, Eden, played for Lille, Chelsea, and Real Madrid. His younger brothers are Kylian and Ethan. Kylian joined White Star Bruxelles in 2013. In 2017, he signed with Chelsea's development team. He now plays for RWDM. Ethan attends the youth academy of Tubize.

The Hazard brothers grew up with everything they needed to succeed in football. Their home was very close to a training ground. The brothers often used a small hole in the fence to get onto the pitch. This is where they practiced and improved their skills.

Thorgan Hazard's Club Journey

Playing for Lens

Hazard with Lens in 2011

Thorgan started playing football at age five for his hometown club, Royal Stade Brainois. After five years, he followed his brother Eden to Tubize. When he was 14, the French club Lens noticed him. This happened while he was playing for Tubize in a local tournament. His parents agreed to the offer from Lens. They hoped the training in France would be better. There, he met Charly Musonda, who would also play for Chelsea.

Thorgan's father said that joining clubs in northern France was the best choice. He felt that Belgium did not offer as good training for young players. While in the youth academy, Thorgan played for the Lens under-16 team. He played with future stars like Geoffrey Kondogbia and Raphaël Varane. His team won a national championship in 2008–09.

On April 7, 2010, Thorgan signed his first professional contract. It was a three-year deal. He trained with the senior team before the 2010–11 season. He even scored a goal in a friendly game. However, he started the season playing for the club's reserve team. He made his amateur debut on August 8, 2010. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 win. He spent most of the season with the reserve and under-19 teams. In May 2011, he was named to the senior team for the first time. This was for a Ligue 1 match. But he did not play in that game.

For the 2011–12 season, Thorgan was permanently moved to the senior team. He got the number 22 shirt. He made his first professional appearance in Lens' first league match. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 loss. He played 14 league games that season.

Time at Chelsea

On July 24, 2012, Chelsea announced they had signed Thorgan Hazard. This happened soon after they signed his older brother Eden. Thorgan played his first game for Chelsea on August 17, 2012. It was an Under-21 Premier League match. This 0–0 draw was his only appearance for Chelsea.

Loan to Zulte Waregem

Hazard playing for Zulte Waregem in 2014

On August 30, 2012, Thorgan was loaned to Belgian Pro League club Zulte Waregem. This move was made so he could get experience playing in first-team games.

He played his first game for Zulte Waregem on September 15, 2012. It was a 1–0 away win. Thorgan scored his first goal on October 31. It was in a 4–1 home win. In May 2013, he had a great game. He scored a penalty and set up two goals in a 5–2 win.

On July 15, 2013, Chelsea and Zulte Waregem agreed to another loan. Thorgan would stay for the 2013–14 season. He scored a free-kick and assisted a goal in Zulte's first game of the season.

In November 2013, Thorgan scored against Wigan Athletic in a 2–1 win. This was in the UEFA Europa League group stage. He was voted Zulte's player of the season. He scored 17 goals in 53 games that season. Thorgan also won the Belgian Player of the Year Award.

Joining Borussia Mönchengladbach

Hazard training for Mönchengladbach in 2015

On July 5, 2014, Thorgan was loaned to Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany. He wore the number 26 shirt. He made his debut on August 16, 2014, in a cup game. He came on as a substitute in a 3–1 win. His league debut was on August 24, 2014. He came off the bench in a 1–1 draw.

Thorgan scored two goals in Gladbach's 7–0 win in the UEFA Europa League play-offs. One of his goals was a curving free-kick from far away. On September 24, 2014, he started his first Bundesliga game. He played 71 minutes in a 1–0 win. On December 6, 2014, he started his second Bundesliga game. He played the whole game and set up the first goal. He also scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute. This was his first Bundesliga goal of the season. His goal helped the team win 3–2.

On February 23, 2015, Thorgan agreed to join Borussia Mönchengladbach permanently. He signed a five-year contract. The transfer fee was reported to be around €8 million. He said he was focusing on doing well at Mönchengladbach.

On August 8, 2015, Thorgan scored in his first game after his permanent transfer. It was a 4–1 win in the German Cup. He finished the season with four goals. Two of these came in a 5–0 win in April 2016.

Thorgan scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) on August 24, 2016. This was in a 6–1 win in a UEFA Champions League play-off game. Mönchengladbach won the series 9–2, which was a record. On September 17, he scored two goals in a Bundesliga match.

On September 28, Thorgan scored his first UEFA Champions League goal. This was against Barcelona. On November 25, 2017, he scored a penalty. This helped his team beat Bayern Munich 2–1. He scored two goals in a 2–1 win against Hertha BSC. He finished that season with eleven goals.

On August 19, 2018, Thorgan scored a hat-trick in an 11–1 cup win. Two other teammates also scored three goals in that game.

Moving to Borussia Dortmund

On May 22, 2019, Thorgan Hazard joined Borussia Dortmund. He signed a five-year contract. The transfer fee was reported to be €25.5 million. He joined at the same time as Julian Brandt. Thorgan was part of the team that won the German Cup in the 2020–21 season.

Loan to PSV

On January 31, 2023, Thorgan joined PSV in the Netherlands. This was a loan until the end of the season. He scored a goal in his first game. It was a 2–2 draw against Feyenoord.

Playing for RSC Anderlecht

On September 6, 2023, Thorgan Hazard joined Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht. He signed a three-year contract. The fee was reported to be €4 million.

Thorgan Hazard's International Career

Youth Teams

Thorgan Hazard played for Belgium's youth national teams. He represented his country at under-16, under-17, and under-18 levels. He played regularly for the under-16 team. He made his debut on September 16, 2008. He scored a goal in a 3–0 win against Macedonia. He also scored goals against Malta and Poland.

He played mostly in important games for the under-17 team. In August 2009, he played in the Toto Cup. He scored his only goal for the team in a 1–1 draw. He played in all three matches for the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers.

Thorgan played one game for the under-18 team. Then, he moved up to the under-19 team. He made his debut on February 8 in a friendly game. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win. In March 2011, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 win. In the qualifiers for the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, he played all three group games. He scored the winning goal against Estonia. This helped Belgium qualify for the tournament.

At the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Thorgan played in two games. He assisted a goal in the first match against Spain. Belgium finished last in their group and were out of the tournament.

He was still young enough to play for the under-19 team in the 2011–12 season. He scored a penalty in the first game against Denmark. He scored again in a 4–1 win against Turkey. In the qualifiers for the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, he scored three goals. He scored two goals against Wales and one against Scotland.

Senior Team

On May 16, 2013, Thorgan Hazard was called up to the senior team. This was for a friendly game and a World Cup qualifier. On May 29, he made his senior international debut. He came on as a substitute in a 4–2 friendly win against the United States. He was one of seven backup players for Belgium's 2014 World Cup squad. It took him three and a half years to play his second game. This was in a 1–1 friendly draw against the Netherlands in November 2016.

Hazard with Belgium at the 2018 World Cup

Thorgan scored his first goal for Belgium on October 10, 2017. It was in a 4–0 home win against Cyprus. This was a qualifier for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. On June 4, 2018, manager Roberto Martínez chose Thorgan for Belgium's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played his first World Cup game on June 18. He played the last seven minutes in a 3–0 win against Panama. He played the whole game in a 1–0 win against England. Belgium finished in third place, their best ever result.

On June 17, 2021, he scored a goal in Belgium's Euro 2020 game. It was a 2–1 win against Denmark. He also scored a goal from outside the box against Portugal. This helped Belgium win 1–0 and reach the Euro 2020 quarter-finals. In November 2022, he was chosen for the 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Thorgan Hazard's Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Belgium score listed first, score column indicates score after each Hazard goal

International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	10 October 2017	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	6	Cyprus	2–0	4–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	18 November 2018	Swissporarena, Lucerne, Switzerland	19	Switzerland	1–0	2–5	2018–19 UEFA Nations League A
3					2–0
4	16 November 2019	Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia	25	Russia	1–0	4–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
5	24 March 2021	Den Dreef, Leuven, Belgium	32	Wales	2–1	3–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	3 June 2021	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	34	Greece	1–0	1–1	Friendly
7	17 June 2021	Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark	37	Denmark	1–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2020
8	27 June 2021	Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain	38	Portugal	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2020
9	13 November 2021	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	40	Estonia	3–1	3–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Thorgan Hazard's Awards and Trophies

Borussia Dortmund

• DFB-Pokal: 2020–21

PSV

• KNVB Cup: 2022–23

Belgium

• FIFA World Cup third place: 2018

Individual Awards

• Belgian Golden Shoe: 2013
• Belgian Footballer of the Year: 2013–14