Gareth Bale refuses to play in soccer tournaments.
 Bale was ranked twelfth on ESPN's list of the world's most famous athletes in 2016, while The Guardian listed him as the seventh-best footballer on the planet in the same year
 On 23 May 2021, Bale came off the bench to score two goals against Leicester City in a 42 away victory which led Tottenham to a 7th-place finish, ensuring qualification to the Europa Conference League

