Joselu names Real Madrid player as his Ballon d'Or favorite ahead of former teammate Vinicius Jr
Former Real Madrid striker Joselu has stated that his favorite for the upcoming Ballon d'Or award is Dani Carvajal. The Spanish striker joined Los Blancos on loan from Espanyol at the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign and enjoyed a successful with the Madrid giants.
Talking about Vinicius Jr. and Caravajal, who are both favorites for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, Joselu said (via Madrid Universal):
"I would give it to Carvajal. We are talking about a player who played it all last year, who has achieved the same club titles as Vini. Dani I think he has finished the season being the best player of the Champions League final and winning a European Cup in which he was very important."
The 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, on October 28.
Carvajal is one of the front-runners for the award, having won multiple trophies last season, including the UEFA Euro 2024 competition with Spain. However, the full-back is currently on the sidelines due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury that he sustained against Villarreal last weekend.
On the flip side, Vinicius also had a brilliant 2023-24 campaign, scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists in 39 games last season.
Both players, along with Joselu, played a pivotal role in Los Blancos' incredibly successful 2023-24 season in which they won the UEFA Champions League and La Liga.
Joselu made 49 appearances for Real Madrid last season, scoring 17 goals and providing three assists.
Who’s Real Madrid's quick fix at right-back before the January transfer window opens?
In the aftermath of Carvajal's injury, one player that Real Madrid could rely on to fill the void at right-back is Lucas Vasquez. The Spaniard started out as a right-winger but has transformed into a capable right-back.
Vasquez has been in Los Blancos' first-team since 2015 and has made 358 appearances for them, scoring 37 goals and providing 66 assists.
In the 2024-25 campaign, Vasquez has registered two goal contributions in nine appearances for Real Madrid.