Dani Carvajal’s trophy cabinet may already brimming with silverware but the Real Madrid C.F. icon is looking to add even more over the coming weeks and help Los Merengues to reign supreme at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™.
Drawn in Group H alongside Al Hilal, CF Pachuca and FC Salzburg, the 33-year-old does not shirk the favourites’ tag and accepts that when you represent Los Blancos, the target is always to win.
Following an injury-ravaged season, Carvajal sat down with FIFA, with his sights firmly set on garnering global glory on US soil.
FIFA: Just how excited are you to be involved in the first edition of the Club World Cup?
Dani Carvajal: It’s a brand-new competition – a super World Cup, as its name suggests. The tournament features the best teams on the planet, so there’s a palpable feeling of excitement for me personally and around the club.
What sort of atmosphere do you expect, with fans from all over the world set to come together?
I think it’s going to be sensational. I can see it being similar to the World Cup, where the whole country lives and breathes the tournament. I’m sure it’ll be a resounding success.
Real Madrid line up in a group alongside Al Hilal, Pachuca and Salzburg, so there’ll be a range of contrasting styles. Is that what makes the Club World Cup so fascinating?
Absolutely. I think that mix of brands of football, leagues and continents makes it particularly special. We’ve already faced Pachuca and Salzburg this season, so we have that experience under our belts, and now we’re just looking forward to kicking things off against Al Hilal on 18 June.
What is the team’s target in the United States?
Real Madrid’s goal is always to win, there’s no two ways about it. We’ll give it our best shot, with a place in the history books at stake. We’re vying to be the first team to win the Club World Cup.
It’s also a chance for you to continue to add to your trophy haul at Real Madrid.
That’s hugely significant for me. My goal is to keep rewriting the history books at this club and lifting silverware. I’m fully focused on helping the team do just that.
I understand that Major League Soccer (MLS) and being involved in a tournament in the United States have always appealed to you.
Definitely. In previous interviews, I’ve said that when the time eventually comes to leave Real Madrid or when we decide to go our separate ways, I’d like to sample a league outside of Europe, so MLS is an option.
While it’s been a tough season for you, with the injury you suffered in early October sidelining you for a long time, the Club World Cup gives you the chance to end the campaign on a high.
The injury did rule me out for a long period, but right from day one, I treated it as a challenge to make sure I was fit and raring to go for the Club World Cup, and I’m well on track. Having the tournament on the horizon gave me that excitement to come in for training every day, knowing that I’d be able to do my bit to help the team in the competition.
Finally, which legendary player would you like to have lined up alongside and why?
I’d have loved to have played with Raul. He’s been one of my idols for club and country since I was a boy. He wrote his name into club folklore here, and I’d have relished the chance to have lined up with him.
