Bale Announces Retirement From Club, Country Football At 33

One of the most decorated careers in British football history has come to an end with Gareth Bale's retirement from the club and international football at the age of 33.

Bale, who made a record 111 appearances for Wales, led his country from the international football wilderness to two European Championships – reaching the semifinals of Euro 2016 – and the first World Cup since 1958.

The Los Angeles FC forward, who previously played for Southampton, Tottenham and Real Madrid, made his final competitive appearance during Wales' World Cup group-stage fixture with England on November 29.

Bale made his name in the Premier League at Tottenham, before moving, in 2013, to Real Madrid, where he won five Champions League titles.

The forward joined Los Angeles FC in June 2022 and went on to win the MLS Cup in his short stint in the United States.

"From my very first touch at Southampton to my last with LAFC and everything in between, shaped a club career that I have immense pride and gratitude for."

pic.twitter.com/NNErxMVGCS

— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) January 9, 2023

He added: "To show my gratitude to all of those that have played their part along this journey, feels like an impossibility. I feel indebted to many people for helping to change my life and shape my career in a way I couldn't have ever dreamed of when I first started out at nine years old."

LAFC paid tribute to their star forward.

"We want to thank Gareth for everything he brought to our club," LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington said. "He arrived here with a goal to win championships in L.A., and, like he has done everywhere else in his career, he succeeded.

"It was an honour to have one of the most talented, dynamic and exciting players of his generation finish his career with a title for LAFC."

Tottenham tweeted: "Congratulations on an incredible career."