The £166m handshake: Gareth Bale pictured with Cristiano Ronaldo for first time

Superstars encounter each other at Madrid training

Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo pictured meeting at Real Madrid (REAL MADRID / FACEBOOK)

Here’s Gareth Bale (£86m) and Cristiano Ronaldo (£80m) finally meeting at Real Madrid training on Wednesday afternoon.

Ronaldo’s nose has reportedly been put out of joint with the Welshman assuming his mantle of the world’s most expensive player, but was all smiles as he greeted Bale in the car park of Madrid’s training complex. One wonders how long they stayed practising free-kicks (and hair styling).

The pair will line up alongside each other for the first time for Madrid in the La Liga match at Villarreal on Saturday. Bale could even play at left-back because of the defensive crisis that has gripped Carlo Ancelotti’s team, but Wales manager Chris Coleman has warned it would be dangerous if Bale plays the full 90 minutes at the Estadio el Madrigal. The 24-year-old played the final half hour of Wales’s 3-0 World Cup qualification defeat to Serbia on Tuesday, his first competitive action since July.

“He is nowhere near ready for 90 minutes. He has only had four training sessions in two months, which is dangerous,” claimed Coleman.