Real Madrid’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has officially announced his squad for the highly anticipated La Liga El Clasico showdown against rivals FC Barcelona, set to take place at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Among the standout players included in the squad are Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, and the promising young talent Endrick.
The El Clasico comes on the heels of Real Madrid’s impressive 5-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund in their most recent Champions League fixture. In contrast, Barcelona secured a commanding 4-1 win against Bayern Munich, setting the stage for a thrilling encounter.
Below is the Real Madrid squad for the El Clasico:
Goalkeepers: Lunin, Fran González, and Sergio Mestre.
Defenders: Éder Militão, Lucas Vázquez, Jesús Vallejo, Fran García, Antonio Rüdiger, and Ferland Mendy.
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Luka Modrić, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, and Dani Ceballos.
Forwards: Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Endrick, and Brahim Díaz.
Meanwhile, Ancelotti has declared his belief that Vinicius Jr. is the clear frontrunner for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.
The winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or is set to be unveiled on Monday in France, and Vinicius is expected to be in tight competition with other notable players, including Rodri, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Dani Carvajal.
During his pre-match press conference on Friday, ahead of the crucial clash against Barcelona, Ancelotti said, “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Vinicius will be the next Ballon d’Or winner.
“For me, it’s very clear, and there shouldn’t be any other name attached to this accolade.”