Franck Ribery has reignited debate over the Ballon d’Or after firing a subtle shot at Cristiano Ronaldo for suggesting the award has lost its value.

Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, recently claimed that only players who win the Champions League should be eligible to win the prestigious individual award, a statement that did not sit well with the former French international.

Ribery, who finished third in the 2013 Ballon d’Or race behind Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, took to social media to respond with sarcasm, questioning Ronaldo’s logic and appearing to allude to his own controversial Ballon d’Or snub more than a decade ago.

According to GiveMeSport, speaking ahead of Portugal’s Nations League final with Spain, 40-year-old Ronaldo defended his stance, stating:

“For me, whoever wins the Ballon d'Or must be a player who has won the Champions League. I think this award has lost its value.”

This is not a new position for the Portuguese legend, who also felt Vinicius Junior should have won the 2024 edition of the award.

Ronaldo’s comments have rekindled conversations about the criteria for football's most prestigious individual honour, which has often sparked controversy.

Ribery did not mince words in his reaction, posting to Instagram:

“So you NEED to win the Champions League to win the Ballon d’Or?” followed by three laughing emojis.

The Bayern Munich legend’s comment came after Ronaldo reiterated his belief that the Champions League should be the ultimate decider for Ballon d’Or contenders.

According to the Metro, this is not the first time Ribery has aired his frustrations as the former Bayern Munich winger has consistently voiced that he felt robbed in 2013.

Ribery had led Bayern Munich to a historic treble, including the Bundesliga, German Cup, and UEFA Champions League titles.

Despite being named UEFA’s Best Player in Europe that year, the Frenchman lost out on the Ballon d’Or to Ronaldo, who failed to win a trophy with Real Madrid but scored an impressive 66 goals in 56 games.

This year, Ousmane Dembele is the leading candidate to win the Ballon d’Or after leading the Parisians to win their first-ever Champions League title.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Barcelona duo Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are still in the mix for the 2025 award.

While performance and stats matter, major trophies, media narratives, and voting politics often influence the final result.

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Spain’s sensational 5-4 victory over France in the UEFA Nations League semi-final on Thursday night has dramatically shifted the narrative surrounding the 2025 Ballon d’Or race.

Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal stole the headlines with a commanding performance, netting a brace and providing an assist in what could be a defining moment in his young career.

With his display, the 17-year-old helped Spain reach the final and leapfrogged former frontrunner Ousmane Dembele in the updated Ballon d’Or rankings.

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Source: Legit.ng