Radja Nainggolan believes Eden Hazard has the quality to win the Ballon d’Or, but thinks the Chelsea attacker needs to score more goals to raise his profile.
Hazard has been an important part of two Chelsea title-winning teams over the last three Premier League seasons, and took home the Premier League Player of the Year award in 2014-15.
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However, he has yet to crack the mix for the Ballon d’Or, an award won by either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi every season since 2008.
Nainggolan believes his Belgium international team-mate has the talent of those two giants of the game, but thinks Hazard needs to score more goals to be considered in their class.
"I think he has the capacity to win it because, for me, he is a very talented player, a very good player, a decisive player," Nainggolan told CNN Sport.
"He makes a difference on the pitch, but the only difference between him and, let's say, Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, is that they score much more than him."
"So, I think that is the most important thing and it's the only difference between them, because for me Hazard is, let's say, is in world's top five."
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Hazard scored 16 goals in the Premier League last season for Chelsea, his best haul over his five-year career there. His career-high for a league season came in his final campaign at Lille, in 2011-12, when he scored 20 goals in Ligue 1.
The Blues attacker is currently sidelined with an ankle fracture, though he recently returned to first-team training and may be nearing a return.