Carvajal was born inLeganés, a suburb ofMadrid. He joinedReal Madrid's youth system as a 10-year-old, and continued climbing through the ranks until reachingReal Madrid Castilla in 2010.[6]
On 11 July 2012, after failing to make a single appearance for Real's first team,[8] Carvajal signed a five-year contract with Germany'sBayer Leverkusen for a transfer fee of€5 million. The Spaniards added on a buy-back clause in the region of €6.5 million if they wanted to re-sign the player after one season, €7 million after two and approximately €8.5 million after three.[9]
Carvajal made hisBundesliga debut on 1 September 2012 in a 2–0 home win againstSC Freiburg,[10] being subsequently named to the Team of the Week.[11] He scored his first goal for his new club on 25 November, netting the second in an eventual 2–1 success atTSG Hoffenheim.[12]
On 3 June 2013, Real Madrid exercised their buy-back option on Carvajal, who became the team's first signing for2013–14 for a fee believed to be in the region of €6.5 million. This was confirmed by Bayer'sdirector of footballRudi Völler, who stated: "Real Madrid noticed the outstanding performances by Dani this season, and it was only a matter of time before they exercised their buy-back option."[14] Shortly after the move, he spoke of his happiness to return, thanking the president, the fans and the club at a press conference.[15]
On 8 July 2015, Carvajal signed a new deal with theMerengues until 2020.[23] He contributed with eight appearances and one goal againstShakhtar Donetsk,[24] inthe campaign's Champions League, as the tournament ended in win; inthe final against Atlético Madrid, he was subbed off injured early into the second half of a 1–1 draw (penalty shootout triumph).[25][26]
On 9 August 2016, Carvajal started in theUEFA Super Cup clash against Sevilla inTrondheim, and scored the final3–2 in the 119th minute after an individual effort.[27] Duringthe league season, in spite of several physical ailments,[28][29][30] he still contributed with 23 games to help the team be crowned champions.[31][32] On 3 December 2016, afterSergio Ramos had equalised in the last minute againstBarcelona at theCamp Nou, hecelebrated the goal by giving opposing fans the middle finger,[33] but later apologised;[34] after nearly one month on the sidelines, he returned to action just in time to start at theChampions League final on 3 June, which they won for the third time in four years.[35]
On 17 September 2017, Carvajal's contract was extended until 2022.[36] Early in the following month, he was sidelined with a heart condition;[37] he made eight appearances duringthat year's Champions League,[38] and Madrid won their third consecutive and 13th overall title in the competition. Inthe decisive match againstLiverpool he was forced to leave the pitch due to an injury, in an eventual 3–1 win at theOlympic Stadium in Kyiv.[39]
Carvajal scored Real Madrid's first league goal ofthe new season on 19 August 2018, in a 2–0 home victory overGetafe.[40]
The next season, Carvajal was a regular starter as Real Madrid won the2019–20 La Liga.[41] On 29 July 2021, he extended his contract until June 2025.[42]
On 1 June 2024, he scored his second Champions League goal from a header in a 2–0 victory overBorussia Dortmund in thefinal.[43] He also became the first player to win six finals in the competition along withLuka Modrić.[44]
During the2024–25 season, with the departure ofNacho, Carvajal was promoted as vice-captain of the team. On 5 October 2024, Carvajal suffered atorn Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) along with lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and posterolateral corner injuries to his right knee during Real's match againstVillarreal, he was ruled out for the rest of theseason, with a recovery period estimated to be eight to ten months.[45][46] A day after the injury, his contract was extended until 2026.[47][48]
On 29 August 2014, Carvajal received his first call-up to theSpanish senior squad for friendly matches againstFrance andMacedonia.[54] He debuted on 4 September in a 0–1friendly loss to the former in which he played the full 90 minutes.[55] In May 2016, Carvajal was selected in the Spain squad forUEFA Euro 2016.[56] However, on 30 May, he withdrew from the squad with a hamstring injury.[57]
Carvajal was named in Spain's finalsquad for the2018 FIFA World Cup.[58] After sitting out the first game againstPortugal as he was not fully fit,[59] he made his first appearance inthe competition on 20 June and played the entire 1–0 win overIran.[60] He retained his place in the starting line-up for the finalGroup B fixture againstMorocco, assistingIago Aspas' stoppage time equaliser in the 2–2 draw.[61] In theround of 16 loss toRussia, Carvajal appeared as a 70th-minute substitute forNacho Fernández.[62]
He once again missed out on the European Championships three years later, with managerLuis Enrique leaving him out of the Spain'sUEFA Euro 2020 squad due to injury.[63] Spain went on to reach the semi-finals of the tournament, losing out to eventual championsItaly on penalties.[64]
Carvajal was included in Spain's squad for the2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,[65] playing the full match againstGermany[66] and the second half againstJapan[67] during thegroup stage, as the team was again knocked out at theround of 16 in a penalty shootout against Morocco.[68]
In 2024, he was named to the squad for theUEFA Euro 2024.[70] On 15 June 2024, Carvajal scored his first international goal againstCroatia in a 3–0 win in Spain's opening match at the European Championships.[71] At the age of 32 years and 156 days, he became the oldest player to score forSpain at the UEFA European Championship.[72] In the quarter-finals against hostsGermany, he was sent-off for a double booking late into extra-time for preventing a counter-attack, ruling him out of the next match; Spain won 2–1 to go through to the semi-finals.[73] He later featured in the 2–1 victory overEngland in thefinal, achieving the tournament's title with his country.[74]
Carvajal is known for his consistency, aggressive style, and his ability to assist his team both in defence and attack.[75][76] A tenacious and tactically intelligent player, defensively he is known for his positioning, mentality, tackling, anticipation, and ability to intercept loose balls.[76][77][78][79] Going forward, he also possesses excellent technical skills andcrossing, as well as an ability to get forward with his overlapping runs due to this awareness.[76][80][81][82] In terms of his physical qualities, he also stands out for his speed, energy, and work-rate, despite his diminutive stature.[76][78][79][82][83] He is also highly regarded for his leadership qualities.[84] Despite his ability, he has often struggled with injuries throughout his career.[85][86]
Carvajal is married to Daphne Cañizares, with whom he has a child. His wife's twin sister Melanie is married to Carvajal's former Madrid teammateJoselu.[87] His father is an inspector in theNational Police.[88]
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
