Franck Ribery, the former midfielder for Marseille, Bayern Munich, Fiorentina, and the French national team, humorously commented on Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo's recent statement.
On June 7, the 40-year-old forward, currently with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr and a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, expressed doubts about the chances of Barcelona winger and European champion Lamine Yamal winning the award in 2025. Ronaldo claimed that the trophy should go to a player whose team triumphs in the UEFA Champions League. Ribery, now 42 and retired from professional play, has never won the Ballon d'Or.
Ribery wrote the following post on social media with a series of laughing emojis:
So you NEED to win the Champions League to win the Ballon d'Or?
It’s worth noting that the Ballon d'Or 2025 award ceremony is scheduled for September 22 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Following Paris Saint-Germain's victory over Inter Milan in the 2024/2025 Champions League final, PSG forward and French international Ousmane Dembele’s chances of winning the award slightly improved.
In a June 6 interview with Mundo Deportivo, the 17-year-old Yamal commented on his pursuit of the Ballon d'Or, stating that "the most important thing is to talk on the pitch.
