Even at the pinnacle of his career, Gareth Bale carried a quiet worry: running out of money. The former Real Madrid and Tottenham star, who retired after the 2022 World Cup, has admitted that the stories of ex-athletes facing financial ruin left a deep impression on him.
“There was one thing that always scared me inside,” Bale told Front Office Sports. “You read articles about when people finish professional sports, they go bankrupt. They don't know how to manage their money, they don't know how to do all these things.”
For someone earning nearly £29 million annually, this fear might seem surprising. But for Bale, it became a driving factor in how he approached life both on and off the pitch.
Bale’s financial achievements were extraordinary. At Real Madrid, he earned £554,000 per week after signing a six-year, £150 million contract in 2016. By 2022, Marca ranked him as Europe’s third-highest earner, behind only Neymar and Lionel Messi.
Yet wealth never tempted him into extravagance.
“A lot of, I imagine, athletes live a big lavish lifestyle. I try not to do that. I always had one eye on what life would be like after football,” he said.
“When I finish, I stop getting the paycheck. How do people then restructure their lives?”
Financial security, Bale explains, came from thinking long-term and diversifying his interests.
“So I was always trying to diversify from quite early on. Always had this pillar idea where I would try and invest my money in different things. If one pillar got chopped down and didn't work, the whole building is not going to fall down,” he said.
Since retiring, Bale has built a portfolio of ventures in Cardiff. He owns Elevens Bar and Par 59, a mini-golf themed bar, and has spearheaded a £40 million bid to buy his hometown club, Cardiff City.
Bale has also explored the possibility of taking full control of the Championship side.
“I suggested about my home team,” he said. “It's one that's been on the decline for a few years now and has such massive potential, being a one-city club. We are looking forward to the response, we would love to get ownership of it and take the club back to where we think it belongs.”
Away from football, Bale has transitioned into punditry for TNT Sports’ Champions League coverage and maintains a sponsorship with BMW. Golf, meanwhile, has become a serious passion. He recently competed at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, finishing as one of the top amateurs alongside Andy Murray, Ben Stokes, and Lando Norris.
From careful financial planning to entrepreneurial ventures and punditry, Bale’s journey after football is a study in foresight and prudence. For a player who earned millions on the field, his focus now is on building a legacy that endures long after the final whistle.
