The timing is loaded. Carvajal spoke a few days after watching his old club beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou on 25 October, Jose Mourinho’s first Clasico in charge, with Mbappe scoring both goals and bringing up his 100th for Real Madrid since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024.
Carvajal did not hold back on the Frenchman.
“He was a monster in the box. Kylian Mbappe is a beast,” he told El Larguero.
The former Spain international said Mbappe’s natural ability is among the strongest he has ever seen, and that even when Pau Cubarsi cut him off and physically grabbed him at Camp Nou, the striker still found a way to score by leaving defenders in the dust.
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Carvajal backs Vinicius through rough patch
Vinicius was not on the pitch for that Clasico, suspended for the trip to Catalonia after an uneven start to the season. Mourinho had already left him on the bench against Villarreal earlier in October, a sporting call framed as an attempt to get the Brazilian back to his best, not a loss of faith.
Carvajal chose his words carefully.
“Vini Jr. is a fantastic person. He brings a lot of joy to the dressing room,” he said.
The ex-captain argued that Vinicius has pulled himself out of worse stretches, pointed to the long contract he recently signed, and said the “unstoppable” version of the winger would be back soon.
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Ronaldo and the Champions League instruction
The Ronaldo passage was the most intimate. Carvajal recalled the forward turning to him in Real Madrid’s biggest European nights with a simple instruction: when you attack, set the ball up for me, and I will be there.
He also predicted Ronaldo will reach 1,000 career goals, and admitted he had been “pleasantly surprised” by how Mourinho’s side played at Camp Nou, calling the approach “very brave” after watching from outside.
Mourinho’s own read of the night was less sentimental.
“The boys played an extraordinary game, well organised, focused, with a lot of courage,” he told beIN Sports after the game.
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“Real Madrid don’t play to win at Camp Nou, but rather to win the league. We have to keep going,” he added.
Pulled back towards Valdebebas
Carvajal’s own situation is still raw. He joined Getafe on a free transfer on 13 October on a deal running to June 2027, ending twelve seasons in the Real Madrid first team and six Champions League titles after injuries limited his final year at the club.
He told Diario AS that habit still pulls him toward his old training ground.
“There are days when, out of habit, I almost take the wrong exit in the car after dropping the kids off at school and head towards Valdebebas,” he said.
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