Former Tottenham Hotspur and Wales forward Gareth Bale is set to come out of retirement for a charity match next weekend, marking his first appearance since retiring in 2023. The Spurs legend retired in January 2023, shortly after leading his country to their first World Cup in 64 years. Now aged 36, Bale will return to the pitch this month in South Korea for a star-studded charity match.
Bale will be playing for FC Spear against Shield United at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on September 13. FC Spear boasts an impressive line-up of attacking talent, with Bale joined by football greats such as Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and Kaka.
Shield United, as the name suggests, features a squad of iconic defenders including Alessandro Nesta, Carles Puyol, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, reports Wales Online. Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will manage FC Spear, while Rafa Benitez takes the helm for Shield United.
Shield United emerged victorious in last year's match with a 4-1 win, so FC Spear will be seeking redemption in the rematch. Since hanging up his boots, Bale has been heading a consortium aiming to purchase Cardiff City, and has also signed up with TNT Sports as a pundit for this season, taking over from ex-Manchester United defender Ferdinand.
FC Spear's full squad:
Bum Young Lee, Gianluigi Buffon, Ja Cheol Koo, Ki Hyon Seol, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Clarence Seedorf, Eden Hazard, Franck Ribéry, Wayne Rooney, Gareth Bale, Kaká, Steven Gerrard, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Ji Sung Park, Didier Drogba
Coach: Arsene Wenger
Shield United full squad:
Young Kwang Kim, Iker Casillas, Alessandro Nesta, Michael Carrick, Marchisio, Gilberto Silva, Joo Ho Park, Sol Campbell, Claude Makélélé, Ashley Cole, Maicon, John Arne Riise, Nemanja Vidic, Carles Puyol, Young Pyo Lee, Rio Ferdinand
Coach: Rafa Benitez
Tickets to the live experience sold out in just 20 minutes, but fans worldwide can catch the game on the web as well as through FC Mobile's in-game broadcast channel. Both FC Mobile and FC Online will feature in-game events connected to the Icons Match.