Gareth Bale could retire from football if Wales fail to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, according to The Athletic.
Bale has had a glittering career having established himself as one of the finest in the Premier League with Tottenham and moved on to fill his trophy cabinet to the brim at Real Madrid.
However, the Welshman appears to have fallen out of love with the game in recent seasons. His priorities have shifted to playing for his country, playing golf and then playing for Los Blancos, in that order.
With his Real Madrid contract due to expire in the summer of 2022, The Athletic report that there are no talks over the possibility of an extension and there’s no prospect of any.
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Bale’s time as a Real Madrid player will be coming to an end in June, and as per the report, whether he continues as a footballer could depend on whether Wales qualify for the World Cup.
Wales still have hope of reaching Qatar via the play-offs, but if they fail to do so, Bale could make the decision to hang up his boots at just 32-years-old, as per The Athletic.
We’d love to see Bale have a proper send-off by captaining Wales in Qatar, but if it’s not to be, he shouldn’t feel pressured to continue playing if his heart’s no longer in it.
