Following the team’s World Cup elimination in the group round, Belgium’s standout player Eden Hazard announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday.

The Real Madrid forward, 31, announced this on his social media, saying “a page turns today”.

Thank you for your unparalleled support, Thank you for all this happiness shared since 2008. I have decided to put an end to my international career. The succession is ready. I will miss you,” he posted on Instagram.

The Belgium team tweeted: “All the best, captain.”

A winger or offensive midfielder, Hazard earned his Belgium debut in 2008 as a teenager, he went on to win 126 cups, scoring 33 goals.

He served as the representative of Belgium’s lauded “golden generation” which advanced to the World Cup semi-final in Russia in 2018.