This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
On July 24, 2019, Gareth Bale made his first pre-season appearance for Real Madrid, scoring a goal in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the International Champions Cup.
The match, held in Maryland, saw Bale come off the bench at half-time to net the equalizer, with Real eventually winning the game on penalties.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane praised Bale's performance, saying, “He put in a good performance and I’m pleased for him.” However, he also reiterated that nothing had changed regarding Bale's future at the club.
Earlier, Zidane had stated that Bale was “very close to leaving” the club, with the Welshman's exit being described as “best for everyone.” This was reportedly due to Bale's decision not to play in an earlier game against Bayern Munich.
Despite his appearance against Arsenal, Zidane's comments suggested that Bale's future at Real Madrid remained uncertain, with the coach stating, “He played today, he wanted to and he did a good job. He wanted to be with us today; he trained normally and played the match. I make the decisions and he played one half. We’ll have to see what happens. He’s still here with us at this stage.”
