That Wales are gearing up for a first major tournament since 1958 owes much to the brilliance of Bale, who scored seven of their 11 goals in qualifying, including match-winning strikes against Andorra, Belgium and Cyprus.
As the world's most expensive footballer, the 26-year-old Real Madrid forward is used to being closely marked and he can expect to be the centre of opposition attention whenever Wales take to the field in France.
"We are seeing the greatest ever player to put on the red shirt," said former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage, whose former international teammates include such alumni as Ryan Giggs, Mark Hughes and Ian Rush.
"His performances have been ridiculously good."
Wales have plenty of Premier League experience in the shape of captain Ashley Williams, the Swansea City centre-back, and Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, but it is Bale who gives them an edge.
Manager Coleman has devised a tactical system that gives the former Tottenham Hotspur player freedom to roam behind a lone striker and he displayed the full range of his attacking qualities during qualifying.
It was Bale's 81st-minute free-kick that earned Wales victory in a fiddly opening fixture away to Andorra and he then netted twice in an impressive 3-0 win away to Israel.
On a muggy night in Cardiff in June 2015, Bale's coolly taken first-half goal sunk a star-studded Belgium team and he took Wales to the brink of qualifying with a bullet header in a 1-0 success over Cyprus.
