Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale will not be attending the 2018 World Cup, as his Wales side crashed out of qualification with a loss to Ireland.
Gareth Bale was MIA as Wales sought to secure World Cup qualification in a match against Ireland. Bale showed up for Wales training only to be dismissed due to a flare-up in his calf injury. Bale had to play cheerleader from the stands, unable to suit up for his national team.
Despite being one of the stand-out teams of the Euro 2016 competition, Wales’ “Golden Generation” will not get an opportunity to test their mettle on the World’s biggest stage. While Wales enjoyed most of the possession early in the match and seemed determined to get a winner, it was Ireland who capitalized in the second half off the back of a James McClean goal. That was to be the match’s only goal, and with the 1-0 scoreline, Wales was eliminated from the World Cup.
This is a huge loss for Gareth Bale. The Welsh Dragon demonstrates tremendous pride in his National Team, and relishes his opportunity to command that squad. When Bale is with Wales, he looks a transformed player; rarely does “InvisiBale” show up when it comes to performances with Wales.
Gareth Bale and Wales come back to Earth. pic.twitter.com/UxVGHcOUS1
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 9, 2017
But now, Gareth will have to wait until 2020 for another go-round at the Euro competition to try achieve major National Team glory. Bale is currently 28 years old. That means he’ll be in his thirties by the time another World Cup rolls around. For a player who already has his fair share of injury issues, that delay could seriously hamper Bale’s ability to ever shine at a World Cup.
For Real Madrid, though, this could be a blessing in disguise. While it’s always a possibility that Real Madrid could sell the Welshman, all chances point to Bale still being a Real Madrid player next season. If he is still struggling with injury issues, giving him a full summer to rest and recover while everyone else is off playing a tournament in Russia could be a huge medical advantage.
Nevertheless, it’s truly disappointing to know that we won’t get to see Bale in the upcoming World Cup.
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