Franck Ribery takes cheeky dig at Cristiano Ronaldo for Ballon d’Or comments

Franck Ribery has taken a cheeky swipe at Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese superstar stated that the Ballon d’Or should go to a Champions League winner. The Frenchman was among the favorites for the prestigious award in 2013, but ended up losing out to Ronaldo.

Ronaldo controversially won the Ballon d’Or in 2013 while at Real Madrid, despite finishing the season trophyless. Ribery, on the other hand, won a continental treble with Bayern Munich, including the UEFA Champions League. Ribery came third in the rankings despite his stellar campaign and silverware haul.

Since then, the Frenchman has expressed his disappointment in several interviews over the years, noting he felt overlooked despite winning everything possible with his team.

After Cristiano Ronaldo recently suggested that the Ballon d’Or award should go to a Champions League winner, Franck Ribery seemingly pointed out the irony in him missing out on the award despite winning the trophy in 2013. The Frenchman posted on his Instagram story:

Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele have been touted as the top contenders in the race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

After missing out on the award in 2013, Ribery never got another opportunity to reach the Ballon d’Or podium until he retired from the sport.

Speaking to Canal Football in 2018, the former Bayern Munich man said that he felt the Ballon d’Or was stolen from him and claimed that the French wanted Ronaldo to win. He said (via GOAL):

He added:

Ezekiel Olamide

Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.

An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel’s journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles’ fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium’s incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.

Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.

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