Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has named Gareth Bale as the most complete player he has ever played with or against, snubbing his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. The Brazilian international made the revelation during an interview on the Rio Presents YouTube channel.
Casemiro's Explanation
Casemiro, who joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in 2022, played alongside Ronaldo and several other elite stars during his successful nine-year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu. He won three La Liga titles, five UEFA Champions League trophies, and two UEFA Super Cups with Los Blancos. Although he acknowledged Ronaldo as the best player in the world, he highlighted Bale's all-round qualities as the reason behind his choice.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is the best, take Cristiano out of the conversation, but for me, Bale is the most complete player,” Casemiro said. “Cristiano is a scorer, minimum 15 goals. But Bale can attack, defend, head, score, foul. Everything he does very good, very quick, too strong. And for me, Bale is an unbelievable, unbelievable player.”
Gareth Bale's Real Madrid Career
The former Tottenham Hotspur forward scored 106 goals and recorded 68 assists in 258 appearances for Real Madrid. He scored a stunning bicycle kick against Liverpool in the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League final, widely regarded as one of the greatest goals in the competition's history. However, Bale endured a difficult end to his time at the Bernabeu, falling out of favor amid intense criticism from sections of the Spanish media.
Fan Reactions
Fans reacted to Casemiro's comments on social media. @Hundred_BG said: “Casemiro speaking facts? Cristiano is the greatest of all time for a reason, but Bale in his prime was a different breed — complete monster on both wings, athletic freak, left foot like a wand. Respect to Casemiro for keeping it 100.”
@bigrayutd added: “Gareth Bale was the definition of a complete footballer. Pace. Power. Technique. Vision. A left foot that produced magic. He delivered when it mattered most. Yet somehow, he still doesn’t get mentioned enough among the all-time greats. One of the most underrated players. Baleeeee?”
@Utd_Isaacc wrote: “Honestly Bale is better than Ronaldo when they were both playing at Real Madrid. But injuries ruined Bale.”
Related News
In other football news, Spain international Lamine Yamal has now won three La Liga titles since breaking into Barcelona's first team at age 15, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's tally of two La Liga titles during his nine-year spell at Real Madrid.
