Gareth Bale has revealed that a family health crisis was the main reason for his unexpected retirement from football at the age of 33. The Wales legend shocked the sporting world when his glittering career came to an end in January 2023, just weeks after Wales’ disappointing World Cup result in Qatar. At the time, Bale said he felt “lucky” to have achieved his ambitions, but now admits there was a deeper motive behind his choices.
In an interview with GQ, Bale revealed that his father Frank’s illness made him realize that he needed to prioritize his time away from football. “My father became ill and that really influenced my decision,” he said. “No one knows what anyone is going through at home, but I quickly realized there is more to life than football.
“Our children, our life, our marriage, our family, our friends, these things are the most important. I look back and laugh now that you were so worried about football, but at the time you were anxious, nervous and not having fun.”
Bale, now 36, recently helped LAFC win the MLS Cup, capping a career that saw him win five Champions Leagues, a world-record move to Real Madrid and become Wales’ all-time top scorer and most-capped male player.
Looking back on his progress thus far, he admitted that he had ambitions that he had not been able to achieve, such as to further elevate Wales on the international stage, but emphasized that he would retire with no regrets. “I was able to accomplish a lot,” he said.
“Playing in the World Cup was the thing I wanted to do the most. After that, I didn’t feel like there was anything else left to accomplish. It didn’t work out amazingly for us, but it was the first time in 64 years. After that, I didn’t feel like there was anything else left to accomplish in terms of goals.”
During the interview, Bale also addressed Madrid’s longstanding controversies, including his alleged obsession with golf. He claimed that he “never played that much” and only played “once every two or three weeks” on his days off.
He credits his father Frank for being able to cope with the enormous pressure from the media during a difficult period in Spain, when Real Madrid supporters and sections of the press were against him.
“My father is very strong,” he said. “The way he and my mother raised me was ‘no, no, no.’ They made a lot of sacrifices while I was growing up, traveling and giving up weekends.
“That’s something I only understand now that I’m a parent and doing it with my son. But if we go to a game and I don’t try, he’s like, ‘You can play shit. I don’t care.’
“You can play great, I don’t care. But if you don’t try, it’s not acceptable. I tell my son that now, he’s only 7 years old, but all I ask of you is to try.”
“It teaches you a lifelong lesson: You can’t give up easily when you don’t like it or things aren’t going well.”
Bale spent the last years of his career on loan at Spurs during the COVID-19 season and then in MLS before retiring, becoming arguably Wales’ greatest ever footballer, scoring 40 goals in 111 appearances and creating unforgettable moments on the biggest stage.
Bale, who is now transitioning into media work with TNT Sports and CBS, said he is enjoying life after football and is grateful to have retired at the right time for both himself and his family.
