According to reports, Gareth Bale will retire when his Real Madrid contract expires unless Wales reach the World Cup, in which case he will join Cardiff or Swansea.
Gareth Bale’s contract at Real Madrid expires in the summer and there is little scope of the Welshman, who has barely featured under Carlo Ancelotti this season due to injuries and who spent last season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, being offered a new deal by the Bernabéu board. The 32-year-old has spent nine seasons on the books at Madrid, winning two LaLiga titles, four Champions Leagues and a Copa del Rey but has in recent seasons borne a fractious relationship with the club’s fans and has been only intermittently available due to a run of injuries.
As such, Bale is weighing two options when his contract expires in June: retirement, or prolonging his career with either Cardiff City or Swansea. The decision rest on whether or not Wales qualify for the World Cup.
Bale waiting on Wales
According to Sky Sports, Bale will decide what to do based on Wales’ playoff performance in March. The Dragons will face Austria in the semi-finals of UEFA qualifying and, if successful, go on to play either Scotland or Ukraine for a spot at Qatar 2022. The first game will potentially be the trickiest for Wales, with the Austrians 18th in the FIFA rankings, but they will hold home advantage.
If Wales fail to qualify for the World Cup, Bale is expected to hang up his boots after an illustrious career with Southampton, Spurs and Real Madrid. The forward earned his 100th cap for his country last November against Belarus and would prefer to go out on a high in Qatar and is planning to remain in shape for the tournament in November by turning out for either Swansea or Cardiff ahead of the showpiece.
Bale's Real Madrid injury woes
Having started the season for Madrid in Ancelotti’s first XI, Bale has not made an appearance for his club since August 28 after suffering knee and calf injuries and contracting covid-19, although he was on the bench for the derby against Atlético last month. Ancelotti revealed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that Bale is currently trying to shake off a back issue that has prevented him from training at full tilt, and which ruled him out of the games against Getafe and Alcoyano, as well as Saturday’s match against Valencia.
Madrid’s medical staff are hopeful of having Bale fit for the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, but will assess his progress before the side set off.