Gareth Bale has chosen Major League Soccer (MLS) as his next destination and is joining Los Angeles FC (LAFC) after ending his career at Real Madrid.
Wales forward confirmed his move on Twitter.
“See you soon, Los Angeles,” Bale wrote in a post that was retweeted on LAFC’s official Twitter account and was accompanied by a video of Bale wearing an LAFC jersey and cap.
Bale was on the lookout for a new club after his contract with Real Madrid came to an end after last season.
The 32-year-old signed for Spanish giants Real from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a then-record transfer fee of 100 million euros ($105.54 million).
Bale enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with Real, winning three La Liga titles, five Champions League crowns, three Club World Cups, and a Spanish Cup but his end at the club was rather unceremonious.
A myriad of injuries and souring relationship with the Spanish press and fans left Bale being a benchwarmer for the latter part of his Real career.
The Spanish media labeled him a “parasite” after he missed Real’s 4-0 home loss to Barcelona in March immediately before appearing for Wales, and he was jeered by some fans during a league game in April.
The Welshman did have his moments of magic for the club and will likely be best remembered for scoring twice, including a stunning overhead kick, in the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool and also netting a superb solo winner against Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey final.
Bale also spearheads Wales’ World Cup dreams and led them to their first finals appearance since 1958 beating Ukraine in the final playoff earlier this month.
Gareth Bale joins Giorgio Chiellini as the new recruits for the Los Angeles FC and the two could make their debuts together against local rival LA Galaxy on July 8th.
The secondary transfer window in the U.S. opens on July 7th.
