Spain fans shout ‘Rodri for Ballon d'Or', ex-Real Madrid ace Joselu signals them to shut up by confirming his choice for the award
Former Real Madrid attacker Joselu asked fans to quiet down when they screamed for Rodri to be awarded the Ballon d'Or this year. Instead of joining with the crowd, he signalled them to shut up and pointed towards defender Dani Carvajal.
The right-back has been much discussed as a potential candidate for the honor after Spain ended up winning Euro 2024. La Roja were crowned European champions for the first time since 2012 after they beat England 2-1 in the final on Sunday (July 14).
The 32-year-old defender played a key role in his country's success in the competition thanks to his aggressive nature. During the final, he kept Jude Bellingham quiet, with the Los Blancos midfielder operating on the left flank for The Three Lions.
Overall, Carvajal made five appearances at Euro 2024, bagging a goal. Before he joined Spain for the continental tournament, the full-back enjoyed a successful season with Real Madrid.
In the 2023/24 campaign, he managed to win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League alongside Joselu, who was at Santiago Bernabeu last year. Overall, the pair have shared the pitch on 105 occasions for club and country, bagging seven joint goal contributions in the process.
Carvajal himself made 41 appearances across competitions for Real Madrid last campaign, bagging six goals and five assists. Other teammates of his, including Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, are also considered among the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or 2024.
Dani Carvajal names his Real Madrid teammates as frontrunners for Ballon d'Or 2024
Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal provided a modest answer when asked if he was thinking about winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or before Spain's Euro 2024 final with England.
Rather than putting his name up there, the experienced star named Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior as favorites for the award. He said (via Manging Madrid):
"Jokes aside, Bellingham and Vinicius have done everything to win the Ballon d'Or. They have had a great year."
"(Winning the award) is not only my mind, I don't think about it."
Both these players enjoyed great campaigns with Real Madrid. Bellingham made 42 appearances across competitions for the Spanish giants, bagging 23 goals and 13 assists. Meanwhile, the Brazilian played 39 matches in all competitions, bagging 24 goals and 11 assists.
However, neither of the two managed to win their respective international continental competitions this summer.