Hazard Turns Wine Tasting Into a Global Tournament
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid player compared national wine styles in a lighthearted tasting challenge
2026-06-29
Eden Hazard, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid player, has staged his own wine “World Cup” ahead of the 2026 soccer tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and he picked New Zealand white wine as his overall winner after a bracket that also included Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Croatia, England and the United States.
Hazard, who retired from professional soccer after a career marked by major success in the Premier League and a difficult final stretch in Spain, shared the informal contest as a personal tasting challenge built around national wine styles. The format mirrored a knockout tournament, with white wines on one side of the draw and red wines on the other.
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In the white wine bracket, Hazard first compared England with New Zealand and chose New Zealand to advance. He then tasted Germany against Croatia and said the Croatian wine was “too strong for me,” sending Germany through. In the semifinal between New Zealand and Germany, he said it was not easy to tell the difference, but he ultimately selected New Zealand.
The red wine side produced one of the most notable pairings for Spanish wine fans: Spain against the United States. Hazard chose Spain. In the other matchup, Portugal faced France, and Hazard quickly favored France. That set up a semifinal between Spain and France, where he said there was significant debate before he named Spain the winner.
The final then brought together two very different profiles: a white wine from New Zealand and a red wine from Spain. Hazard said he was drawn to both options but had to make a final choice. “I’m more of a red wine person, but I’m going to choose the white wine,” he said, giving the title to New Zealand and leaving Spain as runner-up.
The exercise was presented as a lighthearted personal ranking rather than a formal tasting or professional judging event. Still, it drew attention because of Hazard’s profile and because it placed Spanish wine deep into a competition framed around some of the world’s best-known producing countries.
Spain’s appearance in Hazard’s final four reflects its broad international standing as one of Europe’s major wine producers, with strong recognition for red wines from regions such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero. New Zealand’s win on the white wine side also fits its reputation in export markets, especially for Sauvignon Blanc, which has become one of the country’s most recognizable styles.
Hazard has long been associated with elite soccer rather than food and drink culture, but retired athletes increasingly use social media and personal projects to share lifestyle interests beyond sport. In this case, wine became the theme through which he connected his post-retirement image with the global mood surrounding the 2026 World Cup.
For tourism and wine producers, that kind of crossover can have value. Celebrity mentions do not replace critical reviews or market data, but they can help bring casual consumers into conversations about origin, style and preference. A simple bracket between countries can also turn wine into an accessible subject for audiences who may not usually follow tastings or appellation news.
Hazard’s choices were based on taste rather than technical criteria. He did not present scoring sheets, vintages or producer names, and there was no indication that bottles were selected to represent official national standards. Even so, his comments offered a snapshot of personal preference: lighter or fresher white wines appeared to appeal to him in the final decision, despite his stated preference for red wine.
The result may disappoint Spanish supporters who saw their country reach Hazard’s final only to lose at the last step. But in his version of a global championship, New Zealand took the trophy, Spain finished second, and wine briefly replaced soccer as the field of competition.
