Ribery mocks Ronaldo.

Former midfielder Franck Ribery has once again stirred controversy by criticizing Cristiano Ronaldo in the never-ending debate about the fairness of the Ballon d'Or.

Ribery was competing with Messi and Ronaldo 12 years ago.

After Ronaldo stated that winning the Champions League could be a key factor in winning the Ballon d'Or, Ribery responded on social media with a sarcastic question: "So, to win the Ballon d'Or, do you have to win the Champions League?", accompanied by three laughing face emojis.

This statement reiterates Ribery's regrets over the years. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this year, the former Bayern star frankly stated: “It’s unfair. They extended the voting period and something strange happened. I feel it was a choice that went beyond the boundaries of football.”

Meanwhile, Ronaldo also seems to have lost interest in individual awards. He emphasized that he "knows what happens behind the scenes," showing skepticism about the transparency of the voting process.

Ribery finished third in the 2013 Ballon d'Or race after a brilliant season with Bayern Munich, winning the treble including the Bundesliga, the German Cup, and the Champions League. However, he lost the award to Ronaldo.

In 2013, Ribery led in votes from journalists. However, that year's award added two more categories voted on by national team captains and coaches. With his outstanding individual performance (69 goals, 15 assists) in 59 matches, Ronaldo dominated both Lionel Messi (45 goals, 16 assists) and Ribery (23 goals, 20 assists) in these two categories, even though he didn't win any titles.

Source: https://znews.vn/ribery-mia-mai-ronaldo-post1559084.html