Gareth Bale

The five-times Champions League winner has called time on his career weeks after captaining Wales at their first World Cup since 1958.

An incredible career has come to an end for Gareth Bale, but he can look back on a plethora of honours and achievements.

Gareth Bale decided to retire from club and international football at the age of 33, but why did he call time on his career relatively young?

"So, I move on with anticipation to the next stage of my life. It was an honor to have one of the most talented, dynamic and exciting players of his generation finish his career with a title for LAFC." "My wife and my children, your love and support has carried me through. "To show my gratitude to all of those that have played their part along this journey, feels like an impossibility. "To my previous clubs, Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid and finally LAFC. Right beside me for all the highs and lows, keeping me grounded along the way. Bale had helped LAFC claim the MLS Cup last season, with his last touch of the ball at club level being a thundering header that sent the finale against the Philadelphia Union to a penalty shootout. In his statement, he indicated that his retirement from playing offered "an opportunity for a new adventure", but it remains unclear what exactly that will be. The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me. Playing for and captaining my country 111 times has truly been a dream come true. It was somewhat surprising, given Bale's age and the fact that he had only recently embarked on a new adventure in Major League Soccer with Los Angeles FC, but it was half-expected, too. "I'll keep going as long as I can and as long as I'm wanted," he said at the time.

The Los Angeles FC (LAFC) forward, who previously played for Southampton, Tottenham, and Real Madrid, made his final competitive appearance during Wales' World ...

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Gareth Bale, five-times Champions League winner and Wales' top scorer and most-capped player, has announced his retirement from football.

The Welshman rose to prominence as a full-back with Tottenham - where he made a brief return in 2020-21 - and celebrated a League Cup victory in 2008 alongside 42 goals in 146 appearances. The now former Wales captain recently represented his nation at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he took his total to 41 goals in 111 caps for his country, ahead of second-placed Ian Rush (28 goals) and Christ Gunter (109 caps), respectively. At 33 years old, Bale announced in a set of tweets that he would be hanging up his boots, both at club and international level.

Forward calls time on decorated career at age 33, says football has given him some of life's 'best moments'.

“My journey on the international stage is one that has changed not only my life but who I am. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love. As captain and talisman, he led Wales to their first World Cup since 1958 at Qatar 2022.

The Wales forward has retired with a glittering CV but it was his breathtaking style which set him apart from the rest.

And perhaps it was inevitable that for a player who played to feel, who specialised in crafting moments of perfection and wonder, the half-cocked, pedalled-down extended dotage was never going to suit him. And to think this was once a skinny £5m left-back who failed to win any of his first 24 games for the club and was initially kept out of the side by Benoît Assou-Ekotto. In spirit and attitude Wales is Bale’s team, and here again Bale departs having bequeathed a clutch of match-winning, heart-stopping memories. [Southampton](https://www.theguardian.com/football/southampton) gave him a start and Tottenham catapulted him to stardom, then it was in Wales red that he went on the greatest journey of all. [Bale signed for a world-record fee](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/01/gareth-bale-real-madrid-transfer-tottenham), won everything there was to win and yet somehow lost something of himself too. What was the point in taking a free-kick unless you were going to leather it into the top corner? [2018 Champions League final](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/26/real-madrid-liverpool-champions-league-final-match-report) is probably his best-remembered goal. In so doing he single-handedly dragged a squad containing Steven Caulker, Kyle Naughton and Lewis Holtby to the verge of the Champions League. What was the point in running unless you were going to do it as jaw-droppingly fast as possible? Most Madrid players either got this and devoted themselves to a life of service (Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Ángel Di María), or they left. Watch back some of his greatest goals and you can almost glimpse the school tie flapping behind him as he runs, a battered sponge ball sticking to his feet, the cautious teacher carrying a tray of orange squash across the penalty area. In hindsight, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013 was simply too good and too brash to be surpassed or outdone.

Gareth Bale was taking no prisoners when Tottenham hosted Inter in the group stages of the 2010-11 Champions League season.

[Champions League's joint-second most successful player](https://www.goal.com/en/news/how-many-trophies-did-gareth-bale-win-real-madrid-tottenham-wales/blt3c3a8a4d1ca0f098) in terms of trophies. The Welshman gave Brazilian right-back Maicon a torrid time all evening, and popped up with assists to strikers Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko on 61 and 89 minutes, respectively. However, a dazzling performance from a young Bale inspired his side to a 3-1 victory and put them within touching distance of the last 16.

It is objectively true that Gareth Bale has had a fantastic footballing career, excelling at the very pinnacle of the game. An output of 142 goals and 70 ...

As he bids adieu to the game, one thing is certain: Gareth Bale is a legend of the game. Out of nowhere, Real Madrid was ahead and as always, Gareth Bale delivered on the biggest stage. As arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona fought a competitive game where both teams denied the other a lot of chances, Bale scored arguably the best goal of his career. However, it is during his time in Real Madrid that injuries really started to take a toll, putting Bale out for long durations – Gareth Bale would play over 30 games in only one season at the club (2014-15). However, just two minutes later, he scored what is regarded by many as the greatest goal of a Champions League final. In fact, beyond aggregate output, Gareth Bale will be most remembered for the many moments of pure footballing magic that he provided fans. Wherever Bale played, he always excelled in the biggest moments. Spurs would go on to win the tie in the second leg, with Bale contributing with two more assists. Gareth Bale signed for Real Madrid for a record fee of £85.1 million. Bale ended the season with five goals and eight assists, a great return for a fullback. At Spurs, Bale took a couple of seasons to get settled, with injuries affecting his playing time as well. While he provided many a moment to cherish and remember, on the whole, one is left wondering what could have been.

LONDON: Gareth Bale announced his retirement from club and international football at the age of 33 on Monday, bringing to an end one of the most decor...

He added: “To show my gratitude to all of those that have played their part along this journey feels like an impossibility. The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me. Bale, who made a record 111 appearances for Wales, led his country from the international football wilderness to two European Championships – reaching the semifinals of Euro 2016 – and a first World Cup since 1958.

The former Tottenham and Real Madrid winger remains a legend of the national team, having guided Wales to two European Championships and its first FIFA ...

It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life. “After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football,” Bale said on Twitter. Bale played a Wales record of 111 games for his country and was a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid.

After Gareth Bale announced his retirement, LaLiga giants Real Madrid had some nice words for their former forward.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has thanked Gareth Bale for the “unforgettable” memories he has left behind after heading into retirement.

He will long be remembered for his involvement in some of the most remarkable moments of the past decade, including his unforgettable run in the 2014 Copa del Rey final in Valencia, his crucial goal in the 2014 Champions League final in Lisbon, and his brace in the 2018 Champions League final in Kiev, most notably the bicycle kick which will live forever in the minds of football lovers around the globe. On an individual level, he was named Best Player of the 2018 Champions League final and got his hands on the Golden Ball at the Club World Cup the same year. [European hat-trick for Spurs against Inter](https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/watch-tottenham-gareth-bale-tore-maicon-inter-to-shreds-champions-league/bltba5001e53fdf437a) and a Champions League final bicycle kick goal for Real – with Ancelotti looking back fondly on his time spent working with the Welshman at Santiago Bernabeu. [made history during his time in Spain](https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/real-madrid-add-bale-to-official-legends-list-despite-criticism-of-welsh-forward-during-his-time-in-spain/blt0d75c2f271e087cf), saying in a statement on the club’s [official website](https://www.realmadrid.com/en/news/2023/01/09/official-announcement-gareth-bale-farewell?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organico): “Following Gareth Bale's announcement that he will retire from professional football, Real Madrid C. [hanging up his boots with immediate effect at the age of 33](https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/gareth-bale-announces-retirement-football-aged-33/blt124a5cd9f1b83732). would like to express its gratitude, admiration and affection for a true legend of our club and the world game.

Gareth Bale's professional career has taken him from Southampton to Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, and eventually to Los Angeles FC.

In addition to his success on the field, Bale has also been involved in controversy off the field. He has faced criticism for his high salary and for his personal life, including his love of golf and his relationship with his family. During his time at Real Madrid, Bale scored many memorable goals, including a stunning solo run in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona and a hat-trick in the Champions League final against Liverpool. Gareth Bale is a highly accomplished soccer player who has made a name for himself at the club and international level. Born in Cardiff, Wales in 1989, Bale made his professional debut for Southampton at the age of 16 and quickly became known for his speed and skill on the field. Initially used as a left back, Bale struggled to find his footing with the club and did not win any of his first 24 league matches.

Bale - who announced his retirement in an emotional post on Monday - shot to stardom in 2010 after notching a second-half hat-trick against the reigning ...

They were beaten 4-0 in Spain and 1-0 at White Hart Lane. [BBC World Service](https://twitter.com/JohnBennettBBC/status/1612762480203206656?s=20&t=jyhj17HaBbBe77uxgoF75Q), Bassong said: 'He [Bale] just took the game on, on his own. I remember Samuel Eto'o asking me on the pitch: "Who's that?!" At San Siro, he lifted the game up, changed the whole scenario and gave us hope.' It was crazy to see how easy it was for him to do whatever he wanted to do. [who announced his retirement in an emotional post on Monday](/sport/football/article-11615297/Gareth-Bale-retires-football-Wales-Tottenham-Real-Madrid-legend-hangs-boots.html) - shot to stardom in 2010 after notching a second-half hat-trick against the reigning [Champions League](/sport/champions_league/index.html) holders in Spurs' 4-3 defeat.

As Gareth Bale announces his retirement from professional football, we take a look at his incredible career highlights and achievements.

[The Sun](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/12359682/gareth-bale-madrid-lifestyle-home-cars/), in 2013, Bale was renting the former residence of Brazilian footballer Kaká. [restaurant and bar](https://www.augustman.com/in/food-drink/dining/biggest-food-and-dining-trends-of-2022/) Par 59 opened its doors on St Mary’s Street in Cardiff. [Adidas](https://www.augustman.com/in/style/fashion/adidas-is-releasing-unbranded-yeezy-350-v2/), Lucozade, EA Sports, and BT Sport are some of his most notable brand endorsements. [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2015/06/10/gareth-bale-leads-the-highest-paid-athletes-25-and-younger/), between June 2017 and June 2018, he earned $35 million from his salary and endorsements. In addition to his annual USD 25 million salary, he also earns an estimated USD 9 million from brand endorsements. During the latter stages of his tenure at the Spanish club, he was plagued with injuries that started taking a toll on him and forced him to sit out many important matches. As a result, his career saw both match-winning performances and long absences from the pitch. Yet, he contributed to some of the most iconic moments in Los Blancos’ recent history, including his stunning overhead kick in their 3-1 win over Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final. After spending six years at Tottenham, many clubs showed interest in him and he decided to join Real Madrid in the latter half of 2013. In a statement, he said: “My decision to retire from international football has been by far the hardest of my career. Known for his extraordinary speed and technical abilities, and considered to be an exceptional striker, Gareth Bale is one of the most popular football players in the world. On January 9, the Welsh footballer announced his retirement from professional football.

Wales manager Rob Page reveals details of his conversation with Gareth Bale ahead of his retirement announcement; I told him I think its the right time to ...

He was the first through the building and he's a credit to himself and his family the way he conducts himself in the group. "We appreciate their forthrightness in coming to us when they did. "There's a mixture of emotions for me. When the time is right we'll talk about what capacity we keep him involved." You've just scored in a World Cup and got everything on your CV, what you've done for this country is unbelievable." It's not the news we wanted to start the new year with but we knew it was going to come one day. The roles might have changed slightly. "When you've got someone of Bale's stature and what he's done for Wales, the impact he can have - even being in the changing room and the impact he can have on the players, then I've got to take advantage of that. We just didn't know when it was going to come." He was so proud to put that jersey on. "I've now worked with him for a couple of years and when I was in the U21s, I could see from afar that he was passionate about playing for his country. "He's put Wales on the map globally for what he's done in European football at Real Madrid and what he did at Tottenham in the Premier League and then in the World Cup with Wales.

The Manchester City boss wants to be one of the featured groups in Gareth Bale's retirement golf bonanza.

It has morphed from a media narrative to self-fulfilling prophecy in recent years, and who better to talk Guardiola out of it than Mr. Less than 24 hours after the Welshman’s announcement, he is already receiving invites to tee it up from all across sports, including from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, a mad-hatter-level soccer genius currently pushing to win his fifth Premier League title in the last six seasons. [announcing his retirement](https://twitter.com/GarethBale11/status/1612466979373461504) at the age of 33.

Wales is a country that often feels sidelined, but he became an ambassador that couldn't be ignored.

For a few years he was one of the best players in the world, [the Copa del Rey final of 2014](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/16/barcelona-real-madrid-copa-del-rey-match-report-gareth-bale) where it was easier for him to run off the pitch and round the Barcelona player trailing in his wake was a carbon copy of [something he’d done for Wales against Iceland](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/mar/05/wales-iceland-international-friendly-match-report) a few months before. He has done far more to put Wales on the map than any individual in my lifetime. [It had to be him](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/11/gareth-bale-wales-slovakia-european-championship-group-b-football). His blend of sporting ingenuity and craving to win could prompt the unorthodox; the goal he scored in Failure to qualify for a major tournament had been a festering wound in Wales for 58 years and bordered on a national obsession, but Bale seemed to thrive on the responsibility. [in the first game of Euro 2016](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/11/wales-slovakia-euro-2016-match-report) by scoring after 10 minutes and when the euphoria in the stands died down the 24,000 Wales fans who’d made the trip to Bordeaux looked at each other and wondered which celestial being to thank. [Wales](https://www.theguardian.com/football/wales) shirt who was capable of the miraculous, with a passion for representing his country that crackled like electricity. Someone who could succeed for his country where the superstars of the past had failed. Playing at left-back for his club, a folly met with utter disbelief by Toshack and the Wales intermediate team manager Brian Flynn, the visionaries instrumental in playing him further up the pitch, Bale’s progress was initially gradual. One hundred and eleven caps and 41 goals ago, a 16-year-old Gareth Bale made his debut for Wales at a time when the landscape around the team was very different. There seemed to be a conveyor belt of teenagers, but we worried none would make the grade.

The Wales, Tottenham, Real Madrid and LAFC forward has abruptly retired, though it is a choice befitting a player capable of shining so bright.

However, he was a shadow of his best in Qatar, scoring his country's only goal from the penalty spot against the U.S., and after an ineffectual display against Iran, Bale was substituted with an injury at half-time in defeat to England. He sought a balanced life, joy away from the club game on the golf course or in the unusually close camaraderie of his Wales teammates. Bale's decline had begun, and he had no interest in raging against the dying of the light. Wales successfully reached the delayed Euro 2020 finals, but it was in reaching the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the country's first in 64 years, that Bale took his homeland to places they could only dream of. What shone through brightest in the latter part of his career, however, was a genuine love and affection for Wales, something that had always been there in his early years. Euro 2016 marked Wales' first finals appearance in 58 years, and they reached the semifinals with Bale at the heart of everything, scoring three times. His second-half hat trick was no fluke; rather, it was the product of his fearsome pace and direct style. It came as a shock only because he insisted in the immediate aftermath of Wales' World Cup group stage exit in Qatar that he would continue. Bale's overhead kick in the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool was a goal so stunning it is seared into the memory banks forever. Tottenham would end up losing 4-3 to Inter Milan, but Bale's hat trick demonstrated a mixture of devastation and defiance that would come to encapsulate his career. The sad truth is that recently his body has shown signs of wear not because of the miles travelled but from the scorching speeds he reached. In the end, Gareth Bale decided it was better to burn out than fade away.