German Bundesliga club, Bayern Munich, former French Winger, Franck Ribery, is asking, “So you NEED to win the Champions League to win the Ballon d’Or?”
Ballon D’Or, the most prestigious individual prize in football, is awarded every year by France Football magazine to the player perceived to be the best in the world.
The winner emerges following a dual system of voting.
Lionel Messi, Argentine player, former Barcelona forward, and currently fielding for Major League Soccer (MLS) club, Inter Miami, remain the player with the most Ballon D’Or awards. Messi playmaker has won the prize a record eight (8) times.
Portugal and Saudi Professional League club, Al Nassr, forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, has five (5) awards.
The Ballon D’Or 2025 will take place at the Theatre du Chatelet in central Paris, France on 22 September, 2025.
Top contenders for this year’s Ballon D’Or include, Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germaine), Osumane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germaine), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Kylian Mbappe (Real) among others.
At Bayern Munich, the Frenchman won a whopping nine (9) Bundesliga titles (2007/08, 2009/10, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19), six (6) DFB Pokal titles (2007/08, 2009/10, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2018/19), one (1) Uefa Champions League (2012/13), Uefa Super Cup (2013), FIFA Club World Cup (2013).
Ribery is considered as one of the greatest players of his generation and one of the best wingers in the history of the sport.
Photo: Franck Ribery. X/@FranckRibery
