Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo have repeatedly dismissed rumours of a rivalry between them during their time as Real Madrid team-mates.
Ronaldo, 41, is set to start in Portugal’s opening fixture of the 2026/27 Nations League campaign against Wales on Thursday night at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Bale, meanwhile, retired from professional football in January 2023 as Wales’ most-capped player and top goal-scorer of all time.
Five Seasons Together at the Bernabeu
The pair played together at the Bernabeu for five seasons prior to Ronaldo’s departure to Juventus in 2018, tormenting opposition full-backs while at the peak of their respective powers.
Despite forming a highly successful forward trident along with Karim Benzema, which won four Champions League titles, there were plenty of suggestions in the media and online that they did not have the best relationship on or off the pitch - unlike Barcelona’s trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
Public Support and Mutual Praise
The rumoured tension boiled down to Ronaldo sometimes appearing unimpressed when Bale scored, while the Portuguese also fuelled the notion of their fractious relationship by admitting he did not spend a lot of time with his team-mates away from training, specifically name-checking Bale.
But Ronaldo had already shown his true colours by defending Bale in his first season following his big-money move to Madrid. Bale, who arrived in 2013 from Tottenham Hotspur for £85million, was immediately under intense pressure to perform after injuries disrupted his start in Spain.
"I think Gareth Bale is doing well since he arrived," Ronaldo said in a 2013 press conference. "He has had a difficult time because [of a lack of] pre-season, and injury. It's better to leave him alone, don't put pressure on him, because I'm sure 100% he's going to do well for the club because he is a fantastic player, a fantastic boy and he always wants to learn."
The current Al-Nassr forward’s words hardly painted a picture of animosity with Bale. In March 2019, Bale returned the favour by telling MailOnline: "Cristiano is an incredible player, I thoroughly enjoyed playing with him. Obviously the media try and hype up these problems which were never there. We got on really well."
Bale Sets the Record Straight
In a July 2023 interview with The Times, the winger addressed the speculation about his uneasy dynamic with the Manchester United legend.
Bale insisted: "I never had one single problem with anybody. I don't think I ever had an argument with anyone. Even through the hard times, it was good in the changing room. I honestly really enjoyed my time there apart from the few moments where it was difficult on the pitch." The Welshman added: "I have no regrets. I made the right decision."
The former Tottenham talisman left the Spanish giants in 2022 and hung up his boots less than a year later, aged 35, following a brief stint with Los Angeles FC and representing Wales at the 2022 World Cup.
He appeared on the Stick To Football podcast earlier this year, where he once more shed light on the fact his relationship with Ronaldo was always professional, dismissing any animosity. However, Bale explained that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was obsessed with scoring goals to the point where his body language sometimes suggested he was angry with his team-mates - which he also defended.
Bale said: "We got on very well in the dressing room. We never had a problem. Karim was very calm. Cristiano and I were on the wing with more spark, but he was holding it all together. I came in as the last piece of the puzzle."
"Whether in training or matches, all he wanted to do was score goals. If you didn’t pass him the ball, you noticed it," Bale said regarding Ronaldo with a laugh while recalling the Portuguese star’s mentality.
"I’ve had a few arm flails when I’ve missed a one-on-one and I maybe could have passed to him. You also have to take that that is his drive and motivation. He just wants to score, not just one but he wants to score three, four, five, six a game, if he can.
"You know, he’s chasing records and wants to beat Lionel Messi doing that. You get it, and also you can’t argue because he’s scoring the goals.
"He was just so driven. Going into a game you knew pretty much that you had a 1-0 headstart because he was going to score at some point. He was a confidence booster for the team."
