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Former Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to express his delight at the team's progression to the UEFA Champions League Final. Los Blancos secured a dramatic 2-1 win in the second leg to advance 4-3 on aggregate.
Bale, who has represented Los Blancos in a UCL final himself, shared his joy seeing his former team win. His post read,
"Hala Madriddd !! See you at Wembley boys"
Having qualified for the final, Real will have the opportunity to lift an unprecedented 15th Champions League title when they face Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium in London on June 1.
Playing in finals and winning them for Los Blancos is something Bale is acutely familiar with. The Welshman represented the Spanish giants between 2013-22, having secured a then-world record move from Tottenham Hotspur worth £85 million.
During that time, he made 258 appearances for Real, netting 106 goals and assisting 67. He produced some iconic moments in the all-white jersey, including his breath-taking solo run and goal against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final in 2014, as well as his incredible bicyle kick against Liverpool in the 2018 UCL final.
Gareth Bale ended his Real Madrid career in 2022 as three-time LaLiga winner, a five-time UCL winner and a three-time Club World Cup winner.
Jude Bellingham could match achievement by Gareth Bale and two other Real Madrid legends
Real Madrid went on an incredible spree of winning Champions League trophies in the decade between 2010-20. In their five wins in that span, there were certain players who carried the team to the final and won it in their home country.
Now, with this year's final being played at the Wembley Stadium, Jude Bellingham has the chance to match those legends.
Cristiano Ronaldo won it in Lisbon in the 2013-14 season as Real Madrid dispatched cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid 4-1 in the final. Gareth Bale followed-up in Cardiff as Los Blancos won the title again in the 2016-17 season after a 4-1 win against Juventus in the final.
Karim Benzema was the latest to do it as Real defeated Liverpool 1-0 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis in 2021-22. Bellingham could well become the fourth player to win the coveted "Big Ears" on home soil later this month.
