Portugal and Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo is under fire for suggesting Lamine Yamal should not win the 2025 Ballon d'Or
Bayern Munich and France legend Franck Ribery has slammed Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo over recent comments about Lamine Yamal.
The French legend has taken issue with recent remarks made by the Portuguese icon about the Ballon d’Or, which have stirred up more than just a little tension ahead of Portugal’s clash with Spain.
Ribery fires back over Yamal dig
Ahead of the Nations League final between Portugal and Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines by declaring, “For me, whoever wins the Ballon d’Or must be a player who won the Champions League. I think this award has lost its value.”
The comment, seen by many as a dig at Spain’s rising star Lamine Yamal, did not sit well with fans, especially those in Barcelona.
But one voice stood out: Franck Ribery. The former Bayern Munich winger jumped onto Instagram, sarcastically asking, “So you NEED to win the Champions League to win the Ballon d’Or?” complete with laughing emojis.
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Ribery’s own history with the award is famously contentious, and a certain 2013 controversy that refuses to fade.
Ribery still not over the ‘stolen’ Ballon d’Or
Ribery’s response was not just about defending Yamal. It brought back memories of 2013, a year where he won the Champions League, Bundesliga, German Cup, and Club World Cup with Bayern Munich.
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Despite also being crowned UEFA’s Best Player in Europe, the Ballon d’Or went to Ronaldo, who won no major trophies that year.
To this day, Ribery remains furious about the snub, calling it “an injustice” and claiming he “could not have done any better.”
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The Frenchman has been vocal that he believes he was on the same level as Ronaldo and Messi that season, yet was denied football’s most prestigious individual honour.
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