Chelsea forward Eden Hazard has admitted that he hopes to take the next step in his career next season by landing the 2018 Ballon d'Or award.

The Belgium international was crowned as the PFA Player of the Year in 2015 after helping the Blues to the Premier League title, while finishing behind teammate N'Golo Kante this time around.

Hazard acknowledges that breaking Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's decade-long dominance will be far from easy, but is adamant that he does not necessarily have to move to La Liga to fulfil his own personal ambition.

"I hope to win the Ballon d'Or one day," he told Sky Sports News. "It's in my mind. If I don't, it won't be a problem. I try to make a good career - the best I can - but I think some other players deserve to win it also.

"When Ronaldo and Messi retire, maybe it will be another couple of players like Neymar, Paulo Dybala or Antoine Griezmann, who knows? We will see. It's not something I think too much about.

"Could I win it? If I play next season, we win the Champions League and I win the World Cup with Belgium, why not? In the last 10 years, the Ballon d'Or winners play in Spain, but it's not automatic. If a player is better in England, he will win it."

Hazard, linked with a record-breaking move to Real Madrid in the summer, has 21 goals and nine assists in 53 outings for club and country this term.