Gareth Bale has been tipped to retire from club football at the end of the 2021/22 season but could still extend his international career beyond that until after the 2022 World Cup if Wales qualify.
Bale’s future has been the subject of uncertainty for a number of months. He is still under contract with Real Madrid until the end of June 2022, but spent last season on loan at the former club Tottenham to ensure he was match-ready for Euro 2020.
The 31-year-old barely played for Real Madrid during the 2019/20 campaign under Zinedine Zidane, who has since left. New coach Carlo Ancelotti, during which Bale played a crucial role in the 2014 Champions League final, recently spoke optimistically that the winger had a role this season.
However, nothing is confirmed on that front, although Bale seems likely to return to Madrid after a summer break as he has previously confirmed an intention to terminate his contract.
Bale has often expressed an intention to see his Real Madrid contract / ANP Sport / Getty Images
A transfer looks unlikely, despite Real being desperate for cash and clearing out the salary cost, as no club is expected to match his current contract worth an estimated £ 600,000 a week.
Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, scrapped claims in May that the player could retire this year after Euro 2020 – he helped Wales reach the age of 16 in the tournament.
Bale also dismissed claims that Euro 2020 would be his last international football and insisted that he will continue to represent Wales until he no longer plays at any level.
The Daily Mirror writes that Bale is preparing to leave club football next summer when his contract expires, and the newspaper claims that he has told friends and advisers that he has no plans to try to find a new club when he becomes a free agent. agent.
Bale hopes to represent Wales at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar / Marcio Machado / Getty Images
But he could still continue to play for Wales after that. Normally, the World Cup would follow directly from the club season, but the 2022 tournament is delayed until winter so that it does not take place during Qatar’s summer when the temperature easily climbs above 40 degrees Celsius.
If Wales qualify for their first World Cup since 1958, Bale could face a four-month period during which he will have to stay in shape without a contract with a club.
Wales will struggle to qualify automatically from the qualifying group stage as it would mean finishing ahead of Belgium. Second place would put them in the playoffs, while they could also reach the playoffs if they finished third thanks to their most Nations League finish.
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