Gareth Bale

Early life and career

Gareth Frank Bale was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Frank, a school caretaker, and Debbie Bale, an operations manager. He is the nephew of former Cardiff City footballer Chris Pike. He attended Eglwys Newydd Primary School in Whitchurch from 1993 to 2000. It was while at this school that he first came to the attention of Southampton at age nine, when he was playing in a six-a-side tournament with his first club, Cardiff Civil Service. Growing up, his footballing hero was fellow Welshman and Manchester United player Ryan Giggs.

Bale attended Whitchurch High School in Cardiff. He was a keen athlete; he played football alongside future Wales rugby captain Sam Warburton, rugby, hockey and excelled at athletics. As a 14-year-old he says that he ran the 100-metre sprint in 11.4 seconds. Because of his superior footballing skill, the school's PE teacher, Gwyn Morris, had to write special rules which restricted Bale to playing one-touch football and not using his left foot.

Despite being only 16 at the time, Bale helped the school's under-18 team win the Cardiff & Vale Senior Cup. He left school in the summer of 2005 with a Grade A in PE amongst his other GCSE results. In his final year at school, he was awarded the PE department's prize for services to sport. In the presentation, Morris commented: "Gareth has a fierce determination to succeed and has the character and qualities to achieve his personal goals. He is one of the most unselfish individuals that I have had the pleasure to help educate."

Club career

Southampton

On 17 April 2006, at the age of 16 years and 275 days, Bale became the second youngest player ever to play for Southampton (after Theo Walcott, who was 132 days younger) when he made his debut in the Saints' 2–0 victory against Millwall. On 6 August, Bale scored his first league goal, a free kick, to level the score at 1–1 against Derby County. The final score at Pride Park was 2–2.

He scored again, at St Mary's, against Coventry City in the team's second game of the 2006–07 season with another free kick. Bale further developed his reputation as a threat on free kicks when he struck the post from one against West Bromwich Albion. By 16 December 2006, Bale's goal count had risen to five, thanks to a late equaliser against Sunderland and free kicks away to Hull City and at home to Norwich City.

In December 2006, he won the Carwyn James Award for the BBC Wales Young Sports Personality of the Year, and was named the Football League Young Player of the Year on 4 March 2007. This capped what was described in the local press as an "incredible" first full season as a professional footballer in which he was one of the Saints' "most creative players even (though operating) from the left-back position whilst his defending improved immeasurably as the season progressed."

His final game for Southampton was in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-final against Derby County on 12 May 2007. Bale suffered an injury during the second half, preventing him from appearing in the second leg. In total, he made 45 appearances for Southampton, scoring five goals.

Tottenham Hotspur

On 25 May 2007, Bale signed a four-year deal with Tottenham Hotspur with the club paying an initial £5 million for the player, potentially rising to £10 million based on appearances and success.

Bale played his first game for Spurs in a friendly against St. Patrick's Athletic on 12 July 2007, but was substituted on the 80th minute with a minor dead leg. He made his competitive debut for Tottenham Hotspur on 26 August away against Manchester United. On 1 September 2007, in his second Spurs appearance, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–3 draw with Fulham. Bale went on to score against Arsenal in the North London derby from a free kick. He then scored in the League Cup home tie against Middlesbrough.

On 2 December 2007, Bale was substituted after sustaining an injury resulting from a tackle from Fabrice Muamba in the league fixture against Birmingham City. A scan revealed that Bale had suffered ligament damage to his right ankle, consigning him to an extended period on the sidelines. Bale had exploratory surgery on 11 December. By February 2008, it became clear that Bale was to miss the rest of the season through injury. Sporting Director of Tottenham, Damien Comolli said, "Even if the examination reveals that Gareth's foot is stable, the decision has been taken to bring him back slowly to ensure he does not get a repeat of the injury or suffer any further damage. Gareth is obviously disappointed to be sidelined for this length of time but he is still young and we have to do what is best for him in the long run."

Bale returned to fitness in August 2008, the same month he signed a new four-year deal with the club, and went on to make 30 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions that season. He picked up his first career red card in a 2–1 defeat at Stoke City in October 2008. That season he took part in the League Cup final against Manchester United. Bale came off the bench in the 98th minute in extra time with the final result deadlocked at 0–0 resulting in a penalty shoot-out that ended 4–1 to Manchester United.

In June 2009, Bale underwent surgery for a knee injury, ruling him out for over two months. He missed pre-season matches and it was projected that he would miss the first few weeks of the 2009–10 season. On 26 September, he made his comeback as an 85th-minute substitute in Tottenham's 5–0 win over Burnley. This was Bale's first ever involvement in a Premier League win, after not being on the winning side since the Southampton move; however, he struggled to break into the first team, in part due to Benoit Assou-Ekotto's form. When Assou-Ekotto was sidelined with an injury, manager Harry Redknapp decided to give Bale a chance and he impressed in Spurs' FA Cup third-round 4–0 win over Peterborough United. His first victory as a starter in a league game came in the 2–0 win over London rivals Fulham on 26 January 2010.

Real Madrid

On 1 September 2013, Spanish club Real Madrid announced that they had reached an agreement for the transfer of Bale, signing a six-year deal in a then world record deal. The Spanish press (and Real Madrid TV) reported that Bale had cost £77 million (€91 million), while the British press reported a world record transfer fee of £85.3 million (€100 million), which would be above Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer record fee of £80 million (€94 million); however, in January 2016, documents pertaining to the transfer were leaked by Football Leaks which confirmed a world record transfer fee of €100.8 million (£85.1 million). Bale's record was surpassed in August 2016 by Paul Pogba's record fee of €105 million (£89.2 million). Bale was assigned the number 11 shirt at Madrid.

The first half of Bale's season was plagued by injuries; of Real's first 16 games after his signing, Bale missed five and was substituted on or off in six others, playing only five full games. Bale scored on his Real Madrid debut, a goal coming in the 38th minute against Villarreal, before being substituted later in the game for Ángel Di María. Bale's second appearance for Madrid came in a 6–1 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League. Although Bale only played the final 26 minutes, his free kick led to Cristiano Ronaldo's second goal of the game. On 28 September 2013, Bale made his home debut as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 loss to local rivals Atlético Madrid.

Following a brief appearance against Juventus in the Champions League, Bale made his El Clásico debut on 26 October, but was substituted in the 61st minute. Barcelona won the game 2–1 and Bale's performance drew some media criticism. Four days later, he scored two goals and assisted two in a 7–3 victory against Sevilla. Following his impressive performance the Spanish press nicknamed Bale "The Cannon".

In November, he assisted a further two goals in Madrid's 3–2 victory over Rayo Vallecano, before scoring in a 2–2 draw with Juventus in the Champions League. He then scored a 25-yard free kick against Galatasaray in the Champions League, a match which Madrid won 4–1 despite being a man down. On 30 November, Bale rounded off the month with his first hat-trick for Real Madrid, as well as assisting Karim Benzema, in a 4–0 victory over Real Valladolid. It was a "perfect hat-trick": one goal with a header and one with each foot.

On 26 February 2014, he scored twice in Real Madrid's 6–1 win against Schalke 04 in the Champions League round of 16 first leg. He then scored one of the team's three goals in a 3–0 quarter-final win over Borussia Dortmund on 2 April, taking him to five Champions League goals for the season. In La Liga, he scored four goals in three matches between gameweeks 31 and 33, as Real Madrid defeated Rayo Vallecano (5–0), Real Sociedad (4–0) and Almería (4–0).On 16 April, Bale scored the winning goal for Real Madrid with five minutes remaining in the 2014 Copa del Rey Final against rivals Barcelona. Considered one of the best goals of his career, Bale outsprinted Barcelona defender Marc Bartra from the halfway line (with Bale running off the field at one point) before converting past goalkeeper José Manuel Pinto. In the post match interview Bale stated, "I had to get round the player and go off the pitch to do it", while his Real Madrid teammate Xabi Alonso commented, "It was incredible, I have never seen anything like it". The goal was Bale's 20th of the season and his first in a Clásico fixture.

Los Angeles FC and retirement

On 27 June 2022, Major League Soccer team Los Angeles FC announced that they had signed Bale to a 12-month contract using Targeted Allocation Money. He made his debut on 17 July as a 72nd-minute substitute in a 2–1 win at Nashville SC. In his next appearance, on 23 July, he came on as a 65th-minute substitute against Sporting Kansas City, scoring his first goal for the club in a 2–0 victory. Bale made 12 total appearances in the regular season for LAFC, starting two matches, but he remained mostly unused as the club won the Supporters' Shield. He made his only playoff appearance in the championship match as a substitute in what would be his final game of club football, where his header in the 128th minute tied the match at 3–3 and sent it to a penalty shootout, becoming the latest goal in MLS history. LAFC won the shootout and their first MLS Cup title.

On 9 January 2023, following the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Bale announced his retirement from professional football. In December 2025, Bale revealed that his father falling ill was what influenced him to retire, stating "My dad got ill and that played a massive role in my decision...People don't know what anyone's going through at home but I soon realised there's more to life than just football".

International career

Wales

Bale was selected by Wales at the end of the 2005–06 season for a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on 27 May 2006. In the match in Graz, Austria, he replaced David Vaughan after 55 minutes and assisted Robert Earnshaw's winning goal in a 2–1 victory. At 16 years and 315 days old, Bale became the youngest player to play for Wales, breaking a record held by Lewin Nyatanga who set that three months earlier; this record was itself superseded by Harry Wilson in October 2013.

Wales youth guru Brian Flynn commented that Bale was potentially a future star of the game, comparing his technical ability to that of Ryan Giggs. On 7 October 2006, Bale became the youngest ever goalscorer for the senior national team, scoring a free kick in a Euro 2008 qualification match against Slovakia. After a long injury lay-off, he returned and started in the World Cup qualifier against Finland on 10 October 2009. On 14 October, he played a part in Wales' final World Cup qualifier by setting up David Vaughan to score the opening goal against Liechtenstein and won the free kick that led to the second, Aaron Ramsey's first at senior level.

In December 2010, Bale was awarded the BBC Cymru Sports Personality of the Year trophy. On 12 October 2012, Bale scored both goals for Wales in a 2–1 victory over Scotland in a 2014 World Cup qualifier. He won his 100th Wales Cap during a World Cup Qualifying Match on 13 November 2021 against Belarus at the Cardiff City Stadium where he played 45 minutes being substituted at half time.

On 9 September 2014, Bale scored two goals, one with a header and another with a free kick, as Wales beat Andorra 2–1 in their first match of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. In doing so, he became Wales' joint 10th all-time top-scorer with 14 goals, alongside John Hartson. Bale scored two goals on 28 March 2015, in a 3–0 win away in Israel. On 12 June, his 50th cap, he scored the only goal to defeat Belgium in a home qualifier, taking Wales above the Belgians to the top of Group B. He headed Jazz Richards' cross on 3 September in a 1–0 away win over Cyprus, putting Wales three points away from qualification. With qualification to UEFA Euro 2016 achieved (the country's first major finals since the 1958 FIFA World Cup), on 13 October 2015, Bale scored his seventh goal of the qualifying campaign in Wales' final qualifier against Andorra at the Cardiff City Stadium.

On 11 June, Bale scored the first goal in Wales' clash with Slovakia in their opening game of UEFA Euro 2016 from a free kick, helping his country secure a 2–1 win and, in the process, lead them to their first win in a tournament in 58 years. His goal saw him become the first Welsh player to score at a major international tournament since Terry Medwin's goal against Hungary at the 1958 FIFA World Cup. He then followed this up by scoring another opening free kick goal against England in the second group game, though Wales went on to lose the game 2–1; this made Bale the first player to score two free kicks at a European Championship since Germany's Thomas Häßler in 1992. Bale scored his third goal of the tournament in a 3–0 win over Russia, making him their all-time top scorer in major tournaments, ahead of Ivor Allchurch who scored twice in the 1958 World Cup; he also helped to create the second goal of the match, which was scored by Neil Taylor. In the last 16 against Northern Ireland at the Parc des Princes, Bale sent in the cross from which Gareth McAuley scored an own goal to give the Welsh victory. After defeating Belgium in the quarter-final,

Great Britain

Bale, who met the age criteria to play in the 2012 London Olympics, said in May 2011 "I want to play in the Olympics" for the Great Britain Olympic football team, in defiance of the FAW. On 28 October 2011, Bale became the first player to be photographed modelling the British 2012 London Olympics football supporters' shirt. In response, FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford said: "Our position remains unchanged. We are not for Team GB. Gareth can make his own choices and make his own decisions. But we are not going to stop anyone playing." On behalf of Bale, a spokesman said "while he is 100% Welsh, he is also British".

At the end of June 2012, Bale pulled out of the tournament with a back injury. On 29 June, he advised the Team GB football manager, Stuart Pearce, that he would not be available for selection as he had aggravated an old back and hip injury during a training run. In view of the short recovery time between the end of the Olympics and the start of the Premier League season, Bale had decided to withdraw rather than exacerbate the problem. Bale recovered from his injury in good time to be included on Spurs' pre-season tour of the United States, scoring against LA Galaxy on 24 July and against New York Red Bulls a week later. Between these matches, Bale also played against Liverpool when he was injured in a tackle by Charlie Adam.

Bale's appearances in Spurs' pre-season tour coincided with Team GB's Olympic matches, where they drew with Senegal before victories over the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay took them through to the knockout stages, where they lost to South Korea following a penalty shoot-out. Bale's withdrawal from the Team GB squad attracted calls for sanctions against him including a ban from the rest of Spurs' pre-season tour but, in the absence of an official complaint by Team GB, these were not carried out. Spurs' manager, André Villas-Boas, defended the player insisting that Bale "had recovered quicker than expected". The club's stance was supported by British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan.

Tottenham released a statement in relation to Bale's non-selection for Team GB, stating that "Gareth sustained an injury as he built up his fitness ahead of joining up with Stuart Pearce's side. MRI scan reports were sent to the FA medical team on 29 June 2012. He was subsequently not selected on the basis of this injury and the inability to predict recovery time. This decision was not taken lightly and made only after consultation with Team GB's medical team, who were in agreement after seeing the medical reports."

Player profile

Style of play

At the beginning of his career, Bale played as a left-back. When Bale moved to Tottenham, his coach Harry Redknapp played him as a left winger, where he developed into a world-class player. He was predominantly known for his pace, acceleration, shooting and heading. His pace, physicality qualities, and acceleration allowed him to regularly get past defenders and make runs into space, where he was able to score or create goals. Bale was a free-kick specialist and used the "knuckleball" technique (popularised by Juninho Pernambucano). In addition to his athletic and offensive capabilities, Bale was praised by the media for his defensive work-rate.

As Bale developed into one of the most dangerous left wingers in the world, he was praised by managers, current players, and past players such as Luís Figo, José Mourinho and Dani Alves. Bale has been described as a footballer with "tremendous speed, great crossing ability, a great left foot and exceptional physical qualities". Former Liverpool player and BBC Sport football pundit Mark Lawrenson said in 2011: "What makes Gareth Bale so special? Simple. He is one of the quickest players I've ever seen, but he has another gear and the ability to find that extra pace within the next stride. He has the ability to perform and use his technique at great pace."

During the 2011–12 season, Harry Redknapp experimented with using Bale as an attacking midfielder. The following season, André Villas-Boas frequently used Bale in this role. After joining Real Madrid, Bale played as a right winger due to Cristiano Ronaldo playing on the left, which allowed him to cut into the centre and strike the ball with his stronger left foot; he was also used as a striker courtesy of his goalscoring, off-the-ball movement, and physicality; however, his playing time during his later seasons with Real Madrid was limited due to injuries.

Reception

Bale is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation and as one of the greatest Welsh and British players of all time. After a Champions League group stage match against Inter Milan on 2 November 2010, his teammate Rafael van der Vaart said, "Everyone is scared of him (Bale). Maicon is one of the best defenders in the world, and he's killed him." El Mundo praising Bale for his performance wrote, "Bale combines the height and build of an 800-metre runner like Steve Ovett with the acceleration and directness of a rugby winger like Bryan Habana. And, when he gets to the byline, he delivers curling crosses like a Brazilian".

According to his Wales teammates, Bale was a pivotal and influential figure for the squad. Welsh international Neil Taylor spoke about Bale's positive influence on the team's psyche and performance, "There's a belief about the team when he's in it. He makes everyone around him play better."

In October 2012, Harry Redknapp mentioned him in the same class as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He said: "He's an amazing, amazing talent and he's after the Ronaldos and Messis of this world and he's getting better and better. He's almost unplayable when he's on his game. He is a genuine world-class player. There's nobody he couldn't play for. He'd improve any team."

Bale was accused of diving by some in the British media; however, this was denied by Bale, Harry Redknapp, and Wales coach Chris Coleman. On 29 December 2012, Bale picked up his third yellow card for simulation in the 2012–13 season. During his Premier League tenure, he was booked eight times for simulation. In 2016, The Guardian listed him as the seventh-best footballer in the world.

During his time at Real Madrid, Bale was praised by the media for his high quality and decisive performances in important matches. However, Bale became less popular with Madrid's fans during his final seasons with the club due to his supposed lack of commitment. Moreover, he was criticised for failing to live up to his potential due to his injuries.

Outside football

Personal life

Bale lives in Madrid with his partner Emma Rhys-Jones, his high-school sweetheart. Their first two children were born in Cardiff: one on 21 October 2012 and the other on 22 March 2016. On 17 July 2016, Bale announced his engagement with Rhys-Jones. On 9 March 2018, Bale announced that he and his fiancée were expecting their third child. On 8 May 2018, the couple announced the birth of their third child. They married in June 2019.

Bale was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for his contributions to association football and various charities.

Bale is teetotal. In 2024, he promoted Heineken 0.0 for Dry January.

Bale is not a fluent Welsh speaker, only knowing simple Welsh phrases. While at Real Madrid, he was criticised by the Spanish media for allegedly not learning the Spanish language, an accusation that his agent denied.

Endorsements

On 26 March 2013, Bale filed an application with the Intellectual Property Office to create a logo based on his heart-shaped goal celebration along with his squad number (11) to be used on merchandise. Bale was featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series and he appeared on the British, Irish and Middle Eastern covers of FIFA 14 alongside Lionel Messi. His goal celebration is featured in FIFA 14.

Bale has partnerships with companies such as Adidas, EA Sports, Lucozade and BT Sport. In 2014, Bale was the first player to wear the Adidas F50 crazylight football boots. In 2015, he unveiled the Adidas X15 football boots.

Bale has over 45 million Instagram followers and earns $185,000 per sponsored post, the second-highest paid British person after David Beckham. In 2016, ESPN ranked Bale twelfth on its list of the world's most famous athletes.

Philanthropy

In November 2014, Bale appeared in FIFA's "11 against Ebola" campaign along with other football legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Xavi, and Didier Drogba. Under the slogan "Together, we can beat Ebola", FIFA's campaign was done in conjunction with the Confederation of African Football and health experts, with the players holding up eleven messages to raise awareness of and combat the disease.

In April 2020, he and his wife Emma donated £1 million to health boards in Wales and Spain to help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, Bale gave £15,000 for Christmas hampers in Swansea, Wales.

Golf

Bale is a keen golfer and in his back garden, he has a replica of the 17th hole – the Island Green – at TPC at Sawgrass. This hobby became controversial in his final seasons at Real Madrid, with the perception that Bale was more interested in golf than football. El Confidencial cited golf as the reason why Bale spent so much time out injured, claiming it worsened his back problems. Bale humorously played-up to this reputation, as after he qualified for the Euro 2020 tournament with Wales, he celebrated behind a Welsh flag with the slogan "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order" written on it. Bale was interviewed in Episode 179 of The Erik Anders Lang Show podcast, in which he said his golf handicap was "between a three and a four". Bale competed alongside American professional golfer Joseph Bramlett in the February 2023 edition of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California. The two of them placed joint-16th in the amateur section of the competition. His handicap was 0.1 as of October 2025.

Career statistics

Honours

Tottenham Hotspur

Football League Cup: 2007–08; runner-up: 2008–09 2020–21

Real Madrid

La Liga: 2016–17, 2019–20, 2021–22

Copa del Rey: 2013–14

Supercopa de España: 2017

UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22

UEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017

FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2017, 2018

Los Angeles FC

MLS Cup: 2022

Supporters' Shield: 2022

Individual

Tottenham Hotspur Young Player of the Year: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13

Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year: 2012–13

UEFA Team of the Year: 2011, 2013

UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2015–16

Welsh Footballer of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

ESM Team of the Year: 2012–13

The Football League Team of the Decade

PFA Team of the Year: 2006–07 Championship, 2010–11 Premier League, 2011–12 Premier League, 2012–13 Premier League