The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/ballon-dor/">Ballon d’Or</a> debate continues to stir interest during the 2024-25 season—so much so that Cristiano Ronaldo weighed in on the chances of rising stars <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lamine-yamal/">Lamine Yamal</a> and Ousmane Dembele. But his comments didn’t sit well with everyone, drawing a sharp response from a French legend who took aim at the Portuguese star.



Ahead of the UEFA Nations League final, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/cristiano-ronaldo/">Ronaldo</a> appeared at a pre-match press conference and addressed a number of topics, including the Ballon d’Or. When asked who deserves the prestigious award, the five-time winner offered a candid take:



“Individual awards have lost some consensus; I can’t say anything about who should win. In my opinion, those who stand out and win the Champions League should win. But there’s no consensus. I don’t believe much in individual awards because I know what goes on behind the scenes. Lamine could win, as could Dembele or Vitinha, other emerging players… But individual awards are irrelevant,” said the former Real Madrid player.



<h2>Franck Ribery laughs off Ronaldo’s take</h2>



Ronaldo’s comments reignited speculation around this year’s Ballon d’Or race—but his criteria didn’t go unnoticed. France legend <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/ribery/">Franck Ribery</a> took to social media to voice his disapproval in a pointed response.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="155" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250608_WST_573371_Screenshot-2025-06-08-101252-1200x155_87e796bc.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=155" alt="" class="wp-image-573380" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/06/08091310/Screenshot-2025-06-08-101252-1200x155.png 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/06/08091310/Screenshot-2025-06-08-101252-300x39.png 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/06/08091310/Screenshot-2025-06-08-101252-768x99.png 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/06/08091310/Screenshot-2025-06-08-101252.png 1308w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



“So you NEED to win the Champions League to win the Ballon d’Or?” Ribéry wrote, followed by several laughing emojis. The jab was clearly aimed at Ronaldo and the controversial 2013 Ballon d’Or outcome.


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That year, Ribery had an outstanding campaign, helping Bayern Munich secure the treble—Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League titles. Despite his achievements, the French winger finished third in the voting behind Lionel Messi and eventual winner Ronaldo.



The decision sparked widespread criticism at the time, and Ribery has often reflected on it as one of the biggest snubs in Ballon d’Or history. Over a decade later, with Ronaldo suggesting Champions League success as a decisive factor, the former Bayern star didn’t hesitate to highlight the irony.

France legend criticizes Cristiano Ronaldo over Ballon d’Or comments about Lamine Yamal

France legend criticizes Cristiano Ronaldo over Ballon d'Or comments about Lamine Yamal - World Soccer Talk

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Bayern Munich have failed in their attempt to overturn the ban imposed on Franck Ribery who is now confirmed to miss the Champions League final in Madrid. This is considered as a big blow for the Bavarian club considering the French star was hitting form in the latter stages of the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
Ribery was sent-off against Lyon for a stamp and was given a three-match suspension by UEFA. Bayern attempted to get the ban reduced yet UEFA turned down the German club’s initial appeal leaving the Germans with no option but to resort to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Unfortunately for Bayern, CAS decided against overturning the suspension and the Bavarians will now have to take on Inter without one of their star players. Ribery’s absence will be felt considering most of the attention will now turn to fellow star Arjen Robben who will probably be given special treatment by the Nerazzurri. The advantage for Inter is the fact they do not have to divide their attention between the two stars and can now focus on restricting the movement and opportunities falling for the Dutchman.
Inter were able to contain Barcelona’s star Lionel Messi who is considered by many as the world’s best play on current form. As such it will not shocking if the Nerazzurri succeeding in taking Robben out of the game with some tight marking or perhaps by limiting the number of times he actually gets the ball from his teammates. Bayern will be looking to Robben for creativity and the Nerazzurri will aim to cut the supply of passes to the Dutchman in order to deprive him of the opportunity to threaten Inter’s goal.
	<a href="http:\/\/polldaddy.com/poll/3217300/">How Will Ribery’s Absence Affect Bayern?</a><a href="http:\/\/polldaddy.com/features-surveys/">online survey</a>

Bayern Munich Fail In Overturning Franck Ribery's Suspension - World Soccer Talk

Bayern Munich Fail In Overturning Franck Ribery's Suspension

<div><a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Rooney.jpg"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Manchester United host Bayern Munich knowing a 1-0 home victory would suffice to advance to the semi-finals. Manchester are well aware of Bayern’s ability to score given the plethora of talent on the German side.</div>
The Bavarians arrive in England carrying a slender 2-1 lead but will be pleased to know they can count on the creativity of Arjen Robben who apparently will play along with French star Franck Ribery who is slowly but surely rediscovering his form amid a season defined by injuries. The best news for the German club is unfortunately the likely absence of Rooney which is a massive blow for both the Red Devils and the neutral fan considering the great contribution and the scoring exploits of the England striker. 
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Manchester have shown they are not as lethal without Rooney and with Michael Owen also sidelined the scoring burden will be shouldered by Dimitar Berbatov who often fails to deliver when counted upon on the big occasions. Berbatov does not offer the energy and fight&nbsp; which defines passionate players such as Rooney.&nbsp; Sir Alex Ferguson must be concerned by the absence of Rooney but there are reports claiming the striker might be on the bench in case he is needed. The Manager made it clear he would not want to risk his best player and it does appear the Red Devils will have to earn qualification without the help of their prolific goal scorer. 
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This should be an interesting match considering Bayern are probably out to avenge the historic melt-down in 1999 which yielded the first Champions League trophy for the highly regarded Ferguson. Winning the first-leg might have given the German side a major boost but eliminating Manchester will close a painful chapter in Bayern’s European history. Had Rooney been fit and raring to go it would have been fair to predict a Manchester United win and safe passage to the next round yet in his absence the situation becomes rather tricky.
The Bavarians can escape with a draw or even a 3-2 defeat to emerge as the winners on aggregate score. No matter what happens this should be a spirited match with both sides fighting to ensure their European season does not end at this point. For Bayern this could be considered an over achievement since they were considered by the critics as outsiders while Manchester had lost Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer yet were doing reasonably well with Rooney leading the charge.
Both teams will be eager to advance since this side of the draw is friendlier with Barcelona and Inter set to clash in the other semi-final. The winner from this tie will play either Lyon or Bordeaux which is by all means&nbsp; an easier task than facing the current champions Barca or the improving Nerazzurri. 
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	<a href="http:\/\/answers.polldaddy.com/poll/3015251/">Can Manchester Utd. Advance Without Rooney?</a><a href="http:\/\/answers.polldaddy.com">trends</a>

Will Manchester United Beat Bayern Munich Without Wayne Rooney? - World Soccer Talk

Will Manchester United Beat Bayern Munich Without Wayne Rooney?

Bayern Munich&nbsp;will take a slender lead to Florence&nbsp;after a controversial 2-1 win over Fiorentina in a hotly contested match which featured a number of odd decisions by the refereeing crew. Fiorentina’s Coach Cesare Prandelli was aggravated while club skipper Riccardo Montolivo could not believe his eyes and admitted the players are disheartened.
There is no point dwelling on what happened but the main question will be whether&nbsp;the Gigliati&nbsp;will put this defeat behind and use it as the fuel necessary to propel them to the next round or if they will hide behind these wrong decisions as an excuse for folding and exiting the competition. Prandelli’s players have been going through a dismal run with the players unable to achieve victory in recent matches with the attackers struggling to score and the defense leaking goals. Against the Bavarians&nbsp; the Gigliati players appeared to be motivated and could have easily escaped with a draw despite Bayern’s domination in terms of possession.
Fiorentina’s players appeared comfortable defending the 1-1 tie and only the decision to expel Massimo Gobbi and the&nbsp; two other unfortunate incidents involving Miroslav Klose&nbsp;altered the final score. The Italian club’s players will take heart from this but sometimes moral victories are not enough to overturn a European tie. Bayern’s players are not to blame in any form for the wrongful decisions by the referee and his assistants. Dutchman Arjen Robben continues to strike fear in opponents and he was the main catalyst (besides the woeful referee) behind the victory of the German side. French star Franck Ribery will be in better condition once the tie heads to Italy so Coach Prandelli will have his hands full trying to limit the threat emanating from those two players.
Fiorentina will be&nbsp;without the injured Alessandro Gamberini in defense but they must play with passion and commitment in order to prevent Bayern from scoring and then a narrow win could suffice. The Gigliati must be careful because the Bavarians completely outplayed, outhustled and outscored Juventus in Turin when the two teams met in the group’s penultimate match to decide the fate of the qualifying team. Bayern are quite capable of winning away from home and have many weapons which can bother Fiorentina’s shaky defense.
Will Prandelli be able to rally the troops to continue the fairytale run or will the German giants advance to continue their quest to reach the final? The neutral observant might be leaning towards Fiorentina not because they have anything against Bayern but due to the obvious calls which went against the Italian club. The Germans have two of the most exciting stars to watch in Ribery and Robben but the manner of the victory achieved must have left a bitter taste even for the Bavarian club.

Bayern Munich-Fiorentina: Refereeing Decisions Cost Fiorentina - World Soccer Talk

Bayern Munich-Fiorentina: Refereeing Decisions Cost Fiorentina

<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>The European tie between Bayern Munich and Fiorentina ought to be an entertaining affair given the attacking tendencies of both clubs&nbsp;during various stretches of the season. The Bavarians have been scoring for fun in the Bundesliga totaling 21 goals in just 6 matches. Prior to this stunning six match run, Bayern scored four past Juventus in Turin in the Champions League.
While Bayern appear to have reached top form and are firing on all cylinders, Fiorentina have been struggling to win as they cannot seem to find the back of the net with the same ease as the German giants. The Italians have only scored six times in the last six games in all competitions including three goals against a weak Lazio side in the Coppa Italia. The main concerns for the Gigliati are not limited to scoring but also relate to forward Adrian Mutu’s complex situation. The Romanian star has suffered from injury during the course of the season, been locked in a legal battle with former club Chelsea and most recently received a temporary ban imposed by CONI after failing drug tests for banned substances.
In his absence the Gigliati have struggled to find the back of the net with the main culprit being Italy striker Alberto Gilardino who is going through an apparent dip in form. Gilardino was in impressive form prior to the Winter break but has been erratic since the beginning of 2010. The club has a few other major concerns with the charismatic Coach Cesare Prandelli linked on various occasions with taking over the Italian national team and most recently fallen giants Juventus. The Gigliati have signed a number of players during the January transfer window creating the need to assimilate some new players, including three youngsters, in the middle of the season which can sometimes be a tricky proposition.
Finally, the club’s defense has been shaky since the departure of skipper Dario Dainelli who was surprisingly offloaded to Genoa while his partner Alessandro Gamberini has just returned from injury. On the other hand, Bayern appear invincible as they continue to steamroll one club after another in the German league. Dutch player Arjen Robben has been in impressive form and his trickery will pose one of the greatest threats to Fiorentina’s ambitions to qualify to the quarter-finals. In addition, French star Franck Ribery is slowly but surely working on recapturing his form after time spent on the sidelines due to injury. He has made substitute appearances in the club’s last three matches.
Given the recent form of both sides, it does appear Fiorentina will be facing a daunting task but with Prandelli in charge as well as weapons such as Stevan Jovetic (scored a brace against Liverpool in the Group Stage) and Juan Manuel Vargas creating scoring opportunities it would be wrong to rule out the Italian club too soon. Still, the Bavarians will come into the tie with the clear advantage of having built momentum in the last six matches while scoring goals for fun. The Germans will also be able to use their last trip to Italy as a rallying point after humiliating Juventus in Turin 4-1.

Champions League: Bayern Munich vs Fiorentina - World Soccer Talk

Champions League: Bayern Munich vs Fiorentina

<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>French star Franck Ribery was a wanted man during the summer yet he ended up staying with Bayern Munich. Ribery was wanted by a number of elite European clubs with Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona all reportedly after his services.
Ribery is going through a frustrating season plagued by injuries which have limited him to just nine league appearances. Bayern started the season in frustrating fashion but have gradually improved to climb the league standings while still competing in the Champions League. Ribery insists he wants to win trophies and while he believes the Bavarians are a big team, he feels they are not up to par with the likes of Barca, Real Madrid and Chelsea.
The Frenchman even hinted his compatriot Thierry Henry who plays for Barca would like him to join the Spanish giants. The intriguing question would be if Ribery joins the Catalans then who would make way? The starting lineup for Josep Guardiola’s team against Getafe included the world’s best player Lionel Messi along with key midfielders Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Seydou Keita. Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic also started while &nbsp;Henry did not feature.
Do the Catalans really need Ribery or would he disrupt the current telepathic understanding built by a team whose stars are familiar with each other? Ibrahimovic has settled in fairly well while Henry has managed 13 appearances in la Liga this season and could be on his way out&nbsp;in the summer. Signing Ribery could imply a hefty sum paid to Bayern Munich for a quality player who might really not be needed considering the presence of a number of difference makers such as Messi and Iniesta.
Interestingly, Barca’s eternal rivals Real Madrid could stand to benefit more if they signed the Frenchman considering Brazilian Kaka has struggled so far to leave his footprints at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Do Barca Need Franck Ribery? - World Soccer Talk

Do Barca Need Franck Ribery?

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