Wales legend Gareth Bale has reaffirmed his desire to invest into a football club with the launch of a new sports investment fund.

Bale has also not ruled out making another bid to buy his hometown club Cardiff City.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid winger had an offer to buy the club from current custodian Vincent Tan rejected last summer.

Bale has largely stayed away from top level football since his retirement in January 2023, but has now started a new sports fund in partnership with American private equity firm Juggernaut Capital.

The fund says that they intend to invest in teams and leagues in both men’s and women’s sports, not just football.

“It’s about being patient, finding the right club, and the right path for us to take,” Bale told US media organisation Front Office Sports.

“That doesn’t mean Cardiff is off the table. But I think now we have a bit of time, and will look around.”

It is Tan’s long held position that Cardiff is not for sale.

The fund, which Bale is launching with private-equity firm Juggernaut Capital Partners, is called Juggernaut Diversified Sports. It will invest in teams and leagues in both men’s and women’s sports, including soccer clubs, as well as youth sports.

The geographic focus will be North America and Europe. The size of the fund is unknown, but founder John Shulman said it will be smaller than $1 billion, drawing a contrast between other recently launched megafunds that buy small stakes in pro teams that already have high valuations, and how Juggernaut aims to invest.

Shulman teased an upcoming investment in a women’s sports team that he could not yet name.

The American businessman added that he and Bale feel they are better prepared to build out a women’s sports platform than many other funds, noting they have already put money into large women’s recreational volleyball, basketball, and lacrosse investments.

“We’re within about 60 days of making our first investment into a professional women’s sports team,” Shulman said.

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