The never ending debate regarding who is the GOAT between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continues to rage on. It is the single most asked question in the soccer world. The opinion of who is the GOAT is not limited to just fans, but even ex-players and even current players.
Gareth Bale is one such player who also has a choice between the two, but though many would believe that the former Real Madrid winger would choose his former teammate Ronaldo. After all, the two played together at Madrid for quite a long time. But his answer will surprise many fans.
Gareth Bale looks to settle the Ronaldo vs Messi GOAT debate
Before the UCL final this year between Manchester City and Inter Milan, UEFA held an interview with Gareth Bale. He was asked many soccer related questions, and at one point was asked who is the best player to win the Champions League. The Welshman surprisingly chose Lionel Messi as his answer without any hesitation or pause, perhaps surprising many fans.
While he didn’t directly choose Messi over Ronaldo, the fact that he had firsthand witnessed Ronaldo dominate the Champions League make fans a bit perplexed as to his answer.
Bale had joined Madrid in 2013 from Tottenham for a €100 million transfer fee that had surpassed Ronaldo’s own record transfer back in 2009. The pair would go on to form a deadly front trio along with Karim Benzema, nicknamed BBC by fans. Bale and Ronaldo would share the pitch for five years before Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018.
There were many rumors that Bale had a bad relationship with Ronaldo, though it was debunked by the Welshman himself. In an interview with MailOnline, he said, “Cristiano is an incredible player, I thoroughly enjoyed playing with him. Obviously, the media try and hype up these problems which were never there.”
He also appreciated Ronaldo’s talents and contributions, saying, “We got on really well. He’s an incredible player and what he did for the club with the amount of goals he scored. An incredible player and he is still going now.”
How many times has Gareth Bale won UCL for Real Madrid?
Gareth Bale was a very great player for Real Madrid, having broke several records while there. He was a crucial player in the team, as they won five Champions League with him. He is most famous for being an integral part of the three peat UCL win between 2016-18.
His most famous goal for the club came in the 2018 final against Liverpool, where he scored an outstanding overhead kick to score and was even Man of the Match for that game. He had also scored in the 2014 UCL final victory over Atletico Madrid.
Gareth Bale also further won 3 La Liga trophies, 4 Club World Cups, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 3 Spanish Super Cups and a Copa del Rey. His great run and finish in the 2014 Copa del Rey final against Barcelona is still remembered.
In total he would have scored 106 goals and assisted 67 times for the club over 258 appearances. In his last years, he fell out with the club and was benched all the time. He eventually left the club in 2022, and later retired from the sport in 2023.
What do you think about Bale’s choice in the GOAT debate? Let us know in the comments down below!
