Franck Ribery Says He Was 'Disgusted' at Not Winning 2013 Ballon d'Or

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has said he was "disgusted" he didn't win the Ballon d'Or in 2013, when he finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. 

At the time, Ribery was one of the standout players in football and had helped the Bundesliga giants win the treble, as they clinched the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the UEFA Champions League, beating rivals Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in a memorable final at Wembley Stadium.

The France international was at the creative hub of that side, and six years on, he told L'Equipe that he's still unhappy he was narrowly behind the iconic duo (h/t Sport Witness):

The vote for the 2013 prize was one of the tightest ever, as Ronaldo picked up 27.99 per cent of the ballot, with Messi on 24.72 per cent and Ribery taking 23.36 per cent.

That Ribery got so close to the pair is testament to how good he was in 2013; the Bundesliga posted the following clip reflecting on some of his best moments after the nomination was confirmed:

While the veteran remains unhappy about the outcome, it's difficult to argue with Ronaldo's victory that year, as the Portuguese enjoyed a remarkable 2013.

Not only did he score a stunning hat-trick in Portugal's FIFA World Cup play-off win over Sweden, but over the course of the year, he was also on target 66 times in 56 games. It was the second time Ronaldo had won the award, and he's gone on to secure the prize on three more occasions.

Leading up to 2013, Messi had been dominant in the battle for individual accolades, as he had picked up four prizes in a row; he too has five overall, with Luka Modric's triumph in 2018 the first time in a decade someone other than Messi or Ronaldo has won the award.

As we can see, Ribery is not the only player to have missed out on the award despite enjoying an incredible year:

Stationed on the left flank, the speed, dribbling skill and inventiveness of the winger left many opposition defenders flummoxed. The thrust Ribery and Arjen Robben provided from the flanks was central to Bayern's dominance domestically and in Europe.

Ribery remains part of the first-team squad at Munich, and while he's in the twilight of his career, the 35-year-old has shown in flashes he still has something to offer at the highest level.

This season, he has four goals from his 15 top-flight appearances. His contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign.