Mae pawb yn Gymry nawr!* What a night! What a team! Roll on Ronaldo and co!
Paul Hayward, Jason Burt, Jeremy Wilson and Huw Edwards
There are two images from Euro 2016 that sum up the difference between Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo. The first is Ronaldo posing for a selfie with a Portugal fan, who ran onto the pitch at the Parc des Princes in Paris following the goalless draw against Austria in the group stages.
Ronaldo gestured with a steward to stay back, struck a pose – and Uefa instigated disciplinary proceedings with Portugal receiving a fine.
The second came at the end of Wales’s historic 3-1 victory over Belgium on Friday evening which set up their semi-final against Portugal – with Bale coming up against his Real Madrid team-mate – as the players formed a huddle that morphed into a heart to show their togetherness.
The heart goal celebration was trademarked by Bale three years ago. But what happened in Lille was not his idea and was not some kind of clever commercial ploy – and neither is his conscious decision to do more media during this championship.
In fact the huddle was led by the Wales captain Ashley Williams, who was at its centre – and not Bale, who was happy to blend in.
It may be harsh on Ronaldo to highlight what appeared to be individual narcissism, after a frustrating match, and no one can dispute the Portugal captain’s commitment and importance to his country. He may pout and preen but it is because he cares, and not just about his individual stats, and has done throughout his career.
But there is a far more selfish element to Ronaldo. Maybe this ruthless streak that Bale may lack – that thirst for goals and individual honours, the Ballon d’Or and the Pichichi (as the leading scorer in Spain) – and needs to develop further if he is to become not just one of the best players in the world but the very best. But, during the Euros, it can wait.
Talks have already begun at Real Madrid over a new contract for the 26-year-old Welshman even though he has three years left on his current deal, so there is no disputing how highly he is rated at the world’s biggest club.
Ronaldo is angling after a new offer also and is well aware that one of the factors behind Bale’s signing from
Tottenham Hotspur for a world-record fee of £86 million – the Portuguese ensured that fee was never broadcast by the club as it eclipsed the £80 million they paid for him from Manchester United in 2009 – was that the Welshman would eventually succeed him as Real’s main man.
There is more than a five-year age gap between the pair and Ronaldo, above all, is well aware of that. The pair do not have a bad relationship – rather there is not much of a relationship at all. Bale and Ronaldo rarely socialise together, with the Welshman much closer to his former Spurs team-mate Luka Modric.
One of the enduring images that sums up their relationship came in March 2015. Bale scored twice against Levante and Ronaldo’s reaction was instructive as his bicycle kick did not find the net – but Bale managed to volley the loose ball home. Ronaldo, in a familiar pose, showed his frustration at not scoring rather than his elation at a team-mate managing to do so. It is better since then but Ronaldo’s main sentiment is still the same.
It is difficult to imagine Bale reacting in such a way for Real and certainly not for Wales, where the bond with his team-mates, many of whom he has played with since he was a teenager, is so strong.
In fact it is more than 10 years already since Bale made his international debut, in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, and he has come through with Wayne Hennessey, Chris Gunter, Sam Vokes, Joe Ledley and Aaron Ramsey. All played against Belgium on Friday.
So the dynamic is different and the character also. It is known, for example, that during one Wales gettogether the players were unhappy with the food served at dinner and Bale took it upon himself to ask manager Chris Coleman if they could go across the road from the team hotel to have some Nando’s chicken.
OK, he produced his black card to get it for free, but it was just a simple act of generosity, not being flash.
What matters most is out on the pitch. Bale has had a brilliant Euros; Ronaldo less so, although without being as bad as some have made out.
But this is the true test now for Bale as to where he stands in world football and whether he can dominate such a powerful character and a team-mate in the way Ronaldo bested Wayne Rooney at the 2006 World Cup.
Wales need Bale to do that. Ronaldo will have other ideas, however.