Dani Carvajal facts for kids
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Carvajal playing for Spain in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Daniel Carvajal Ramos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 January 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Leganés, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Real Madrid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | ADCR Leman's | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2010 | Real Madrid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Real Madrid B | 68 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Bayer Leverkusen | 32 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013– | Real Madrid | 286 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Spain U19 | 11 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Spain U21 | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014– | Spain | 51 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:04, 5 October 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:50, 8 September 2024 (UTC) |
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Daniel "Dani" Carvajal Ramos (born on January 11, 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a right-back for the La Liga club Real Madrid, where he is a captain. He also plays for the Spain national team. Many people think he is one of the best right-backs of his time.
Dani Carvajal grew up playing in the Real Madrid youth teams. He then spent one season playing for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. After that, he returned to Real Madrid in 2013. Since then, he has won many big trophies with Real Madrid. These include four La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey cups, and a record-tying six Champions League wins. He shares this amazing record with football legends like Paco Gento, Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, and Nacho.
Carvajal also had a very successful international career with Spain. He won the European Championship with the under-19 team in 2011. Then, he won the under-21 edition in 2013. He started playing for the senior team in 2014. He played for Spain in the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022. In 2024, he was part of the Spanish team that won the UEFA European Championship. Carvajal also scored the winning penalty in the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals, helping Spain win their first UEFA Nations League title.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Real Madrid's Youth Academy
Dani Carvajal was born in Leganés, a town near Madrid. He joined Real Madrid's youth system when he was just 10 years old. He worked his way up through the different age groups. In 2010, he reached Real Madrid Castilla, which is Real Madrid's reserve team.
In his first season with Castilla (2010–11), Carvajal quickly became a regular starter. He was even the team's captain. The next season (2011–12), he played even better. Castilla then moved up to the Segunda División, which is the second-highest league in Spain.
Playing for Bayer Leverkusen
On July 11, 2012, Carvajal signed a five-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. Real Madrid included a special clause in the contract. This clause allowed them to buy him back later if they wanted to.
Carvajal played his first game in the Bundesliga (Germany's top league) on September 1, 2012. He quickly became a key player for his new club. He scored his first goal for Bayer Leverkusen on November 25. At the end of his first and only season, he was chosen as one of the top three right-backs in the league.
Returning to Real Madrid
On June 3, 2013, Real Madrid decided to buy Carvajal back. He was the first new player they signed for the 2013–14 season. He was very happy to return to his home club.
Carvajal played his first game back in La Liga on August 18, 2013. A month later, he played his first match in the UEFA Champions League. In his first season back, he played in 45 matches and scored two goals. He also played a full 120 minutes in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final, which Real Madrid won.
Winning More Trophies
Carvajal helped Real Madrid win the 2014 UEFA Super Cup and the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup in 2014. In July 2015, he signed a new contract with Real Madrid until 2020. He played a big part in Real Madrid winning the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League title. In the final, he had to leave the game early due to an injury.
On August 9, 2016, Carvajal scored a fantastic goal in the 2016 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla. His goal in the 119th minute secured a 3–2 win for Real Madrid. Despite some injuries, he helped the team win the 2016–17 La Liga title. He also played in the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final, which Real Madrid won for the third time in four years.
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In September 2017, Carvajal extended his contract until 2022. He played in eight matches during the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League season. Real Madrid won their third Champions League title in a row, and their 13th overall. In the final against Liverpool, he got injured and had to leave the game.
Carvajal scored Real Madrid's first league goal of the 2018–19 season. The next season, he was a regular starter as Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga title. In July 2021, he extended his contract again until June 2025.
On June 1, 2024, he scored his second Champions League goal with a header. This goal helped Real Madrid win 2–0 against Borussia Dortmund in the final. With this win, he became the first player to win six Champions League finals, along with Luka Modrić.
Recent Season and Injury
For the 2024–25 season, Carvajal became the team's vice-captain after Nacho left. On October 5, 2024, Carvajal suffered a serious knee injury during a match against Villarreal. He tore his ACL and had other ligament injuries in his right knee. This injury meant he would miss the rest of the season. His recovery is expected to take eight to ten months. The day after his injury, his contract was extended until 2026.
International Career
Youth Team Success
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Carvajal played for the Spain under-21 team in the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He played in one group stage game, and Spain went on to win the tournament. He had previously won the European Championship with the under-19 team in 2011.
Playing for the Senior National Team
On August 29, 2014, Carvajal was called up to the Spanish senior squad for the first time. He made his debut on September 4 in a friendly match against France. In May 2016, he was chosen for Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2016. However, he had to withdraw due to a hamstring injury.
Carvajal was part of Spain's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He missed the first game but played in the 1–0 win against Iran. He also played in the 2–2 draw against Morocco, where he helped set up a late goal.
He missed the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament due to injury. Spain reached the semi-finals of that tournament.
Carvajal was included in Spain's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Spain was knocked out in the round of 16 after a penalty shootout against Morocco.
Carvajal played for Spain in the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He scored the winning penalty in the final shootout against Croatia, using a special "Panenka" style kick. This helped Spain win their first Nations League title.
In 2024, he was named to the squad for UEFA Euro 2024. On June 15, 2024, Carvajal scored his first goal for the national team against Croatia in a 3–0 win. At 32 years old, he became the oldest player to score for Spain in a European Championship. In the quarter-finals against Germany, he received a red card. Spain won that match and went on to win the tournament, beating England 2–1 in the final.
How Dani Carvajal Plays
Carvajal is known for being a very consistent and aggressive player. He helps his team a lot in both defending and attacking. He is a tough and smart player who is good at positioning himself, tackling, and stopping the ball.
When attacking, he has great technical skills and can deliver excellent crosses. He also makes smart runs forward to support the attack. He is fast, energetic, and works very hard, even though he is not the tallest player. He is also seen as a strong leader on the field. Despite his skills, he has had to deal with injuries throughout his career.
Personal Life
Dani Carvajal is married to Daphne Cañizares. They have a child together. Daphne's sister, Melanie, is married to Joselu, who used to be Carvajal's teammate at Real Madrid. Carvajal's father works as an inspector in the National Police.
Honours and Awards
Real Madrid Castilla
- Segunda División B: 2011–12
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2016–17, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24
- Copa del Rey: 2013–14, 2022–23
- Supercopa de España: 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024
- UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22, 2023–24
- UEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2024
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
Spain U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2011
Spain U21
Spain
Individual Awards
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2011
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2013–14, 2016–17, 2023–24
- UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2016–17
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2023–24
- ESM Team of the Year: 2023–24
- FIFPRO Men's World 11: 2024
- The Best FIFA Men's 11: 2024
- IFFHS Men's World Team: 2024
See also
In Spanish: Dani Carvajal para niños
