Former Belgium international Eden Hazard admires Vinicius Jr., because his former Real Madrid teammate likes to have fun and play football, but he fears that the Brazilian will end up hanging up his boots at the age of 30 due to the off-field pressure he endures.

"He got so much on his mind before a game that sometimes I say to myself, 'poor guy'. He knows he's going to go through that, that hardly anything happens in terms of sanctions. It must be a burden, I wouldn't be surprised if at 30 he said he's leaving, that he's quitting football, because in any case nothing changes," Hazard told public broadcaster RTBF.

He has so many things on his mind before a game that sometimes I say to myself: 'poor guy'

Hazard

The former Belgium captain, who retired from professional football at the age of 32, knows the Brazilian well, having spent four seasons together in the Real Madrid dressing room, although they only played 27 games together, and during that time he noticed that Vinicius is "mentally and physically strong" in how he handles pressure.

"Now there is more talk about what he does or what he suffers than what he contributes on the pitch. People forget what an exceptional player he is. That must weigh on him. It can't be easy to go and play a game and think only about football," he said.

When you dance, dance in a certain way so that people love you. Ronaldinho also danced and I don't remember seeing all these stories

Hazard

Beyond the controversies in which Vini is usually involved, Hazard finds similarities between his way of understanding the sport and that of the Brazilian. "He is simply someone who likes football, who likes to play and who just wants to have fun. A bit like I was when I was on the pitch," he concluded.

If he had the chance to give him some advice, Hazard would recommend caution. "I would say: 'Be careful'. Play the way you want to play, but be careful. People are waiting for you, so play football, have fun, make us real football fans enjoy. When you dance, dance in a certain way so that people love you. Ronaldinho also danced and I don't remember seeing all these stories," he said.