There are up to six Real Madrid players on the final list of candidates for the upcoming Ballon d’Or. This dominance of the Merengues in the list is understandable keeping in view the highly successful 2023-24 season they had.
As things stand, Vinicius Junior is the favourite to win this award, but other Real Madrid players like Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Antonio Rudiger, Toni Kroos, and Dani Carvajal are also competing for this trophy. Mbappe is also one of the candidates, but mostly for his performances with PSG and the French national team.
Seeing from a perspective of who won the most trophies, Dani Carvajal should be the one to win the Ballon d’Or this year. He not only won the La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid but also won the UEFA EURO 2024 with the Spanish national team.
But as Mundo Deportivo has reported, the fullback did not seem too concerned about his chances of winning the prestigious award as he spoke at a promotional event. About his Ballon d’Or candidacy, Carvajal said:
“It’s a great achievement just to be nominated for this award because I’ve had a great year. Above all, I want to enjoy the ceremony and hopefully hear my name.”
The Real Madrid captain also shared his aspirations about his future at this event:
“If all parties agree, I want to renew and extend my career at Real Madrid, which is what I have always wanted and what I currently desire… I wouldn’t like to play for any European club after my time at Real Madrid, out of respect.”
The Real Madrid attack has not really flowed since the incorporation of Kylian Mbappe, but Carvajal was pretty confident that the forward line would start gelling soon enough:
“Both Vini, Kylian, and Rodry are players who like to drift to the left wing and not stick so much to the right. It’s just a matter of time before they understand each other. The important thing is to find balance, and that will come soon.”
After four matchdays, Los Blancos already trail Barcelona by four points. But Carvajal was clear that things can change quickly in such a demanding competition:
“We’re only four matches in, this is a marathon, and now the schedule gets tighter. The games are demanding, and surely some points will be dropped along the way.”
As was the case last season, Carvajal will once again be key for Real Madrid as they look to get even more trophies this year. Hopefully, the Spaniard will keep up his performances, and give another year full of joy to the Real Madrid faithful.
