The answer is clear: Franck Ribéry was robbed of the Ballon d'Or in 2013. The Bayern Munich winger had enjoyed a historic season, winning every major trophy available to him, yet finished third in the voting. This outcome sparked debates that continue to this day about what the Ballon d'Or truly rewards: individual brilliance or collective success.
The case for Franck Ribéry in 2013
2013 was the year Franck Ribéry reached the absolute pinnacle of his career. The French winger was the undisputed leader of a Bayern Munich side that achieved the unthinkable: winning the treble under Jupp Heynckes. But numbers alone don't tell the full story.
Ribéry's statistics that season were impressive: 15 goals and 23 assists in 43 appearances for Bayern. But what made him truly exceptional was his consistency and influence. He was the creative heartbeat of a team that dominated Europe, the player who made everything tick.
His performances in the Champions League were particularly noteworthy. In the semifinal against Barcelona, Ribéry tormented Dani Alves, contributing to a historic 7-0 aggregate victory. In the final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, he was everywhere—defending, creating, and eventually scoring the decisive second goal. He played the full 90 minutes despite suffering a knock early in the second half.
The irony is brutal: Ribéry won everything that mattered in 2013, yet lost the individual award that many consider football's highest honor. Bayern Munich became the first German club to win the treble, and Ribéry was the undisputed leader of that team. He had also been instrumental in France's World Cup qualification, setting up the decisive goal against Ukraine in the playoff second leg.
The treble: a feat that changes everything
Winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and UEFA Champions League in a single season is one of football's rarest achievements. Only a handful of players in history have managed it. When you accomplish this while being the team's most influential player, it creates a compelling case for individual recognition.
Ribéry's Bayern didn't just win these trophies—they dominated. They went through the entire Bundesliga season without losing a single game. In the Champions League, they kept four clean sheets in the knockout stages. The team's collective brilliance was built on Ribéry's individual excellence.
Consider this: Ribéry was the only player to feature in all three finals (Bundesliga against Stuttgart, DFB-Pokal against Stuttgart again, and Champions League against Dortmund). He scored in two of them and was influential in all three. That kind of consistency across an entire season at the highest level is what the Ballon d'Or should reward.
Why Cristiano Ronaldo won instead
Cristiano Ronaldo's 2013 season was excellent but not extraordinary. He scored 55 goals in 55 appearances for Real Madrid, a remarkable tally that nonetheless came in a trophyless season for the Spanish giants. Real Madrid finished 15 points behind Barcelona in La Liga and were eliminated in the Champions League semifinal by Borussia Dortmund.
The Portuguese winger's individual statistics were superior to Ribéry's: more goals, more appearances for his national team, and a higher goal-per-game ratio. His hat-trick against Sweden in the World Cup playoff was spectacular and decisive for Portugal's qualification. These moments created highlight reels that voters remembered.
But here's where it gets tricky: Ronaldo's 2013 season lacked the collective success that Ribéry enjoyed. Real Madrid won nothing. The Ballon d'Or voting in 2013 was the last to be decided by international journalists before merging with FIFA's World Player of the Year award. Many voters, particularly those from outside Europe, may have been swayed by Ronaldo's global popularity and marketability rather than his actual on-field achievements.
The timing also worked against Ribéry. The voting deadline was extended by FIFA in October 2013, after Ronaldo's performance against Sweden. This extension was controversial because it came after the initial deadline had passed and many journalists had already submitted their votes. It gave Ronaldo's supporters additional ammunition for their case.
The Messi factor: third place controversy
Lionel Messi finished third in 2013 despite missing significant time through injury and playing a peripheral role in Barcelona's season. The Argentine scored 45 goals in 46 appearances but Barcelona won only the Copa del Rey. His presence on the podium ahead of Ribéry, who had won everything, highlighted a fundamental issue with the Ballon d'Or voting process.
Messi's inclusion over Ribéry suggested that voters were prioritizing reputation and past achievements over current season performance. It's worth noting that Messi had won the award four times consecutively before 2013. Perhaps voters were reluctant to break that streak, or perhaps they simply valued Messi's goal-scoring record more than Ribéry's all-around contribution to team success.
This decision effectively meant that two players who didn't win a single trophy in 2013 occupied the top three spots, while the player who won everything finished third. It's a result that many football purists still struggle to understand.
The voting breakdown: numbers that tell a story
The official voting results revealed a closer contest than many expected. Ronaldo received 1,365 points, Ribéry 1,127, and Messi 1,023. The gap between first and second was 238 points—significant but not insurmountable.
What's particularly telling is how the votes were distributed geographically. Ronaldo received strong support from voters in South America, Africa, and Asia, while Ribéry's support was more concentrated in Europe. This geographical split suggests that factors beyond pure footballing merit influenced the voting.
The voting system itself also came under scrutiny. National team captains, coaches, and journalists from FIFA's 209 member associations each had a vote. This meant that voters from countries with limited access to European football had to rely on highlights, reputation, and media coverage rather than comprehensive analysis of the season.
Moreover, the extension of the voting deadline created an uneven playing field. Journalists who had already submitted their votes were not given the opportunity to reconsider based on Ronaldo's playoff heroics. Those who hadn't voted yet had additional information that could sway their decision.
What the Ballon d'Or should reward
This controversy raises a fundamental question about the Ballon d'Or's purpose. Should it reward the best individual player regardless of team success? Or should it recognize the player who had the greatest impact while also achieving collective glory?
The purist argument says individual brilliance should be paramount. By this logic, Ronaldo's goal-scoring exploits and decisive performances for Portugal justified his victory. He was the most dangerous and effective attacker in world football that year.
But there's another perspective: football is fundamentally a team sport. The greatest individual performances often occur within the context of team success. Ribéry's 2013 season exemplified this perfectly—he elevated his game to lead Bayern to unprecedented heights, and his individual statistics were impressive even if not quite matching Ronaldo's goal tally.
I find this overrated notion that goals are everything. Football is about more than just scoring—it's about creating chances, defensive work, leadership, and consistency over a full season. Ribéry excelled in all these areas while Ronaldo, despite his brilliance, was part of a team that failed to win anything.
The legacy of the 2013 decision
The 2013 Ballon d'Or result had lasting consequences for how we evaluate player performance. It reinforced the idea that individual statistics, particularly goals, often outweigh team success in these awards. This has influenced how players approach their game, with many prioritizing personal numbers over collective achievement.
For Ribéry, the third-place finish was a bitter pill to swallow. He never came closer to winning the Ballon d'Or, and his career trajectory meant he was unlikely to challenge again at that level. The decision arguably denied him the crowning achievement of a remarkable career.
Bayern Munich and the French football community were vocal in their disappointment. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern's CEO, called the result a "farce." French newspaper L'Équipe, which participates in the voting, faced criticism for its selection process.
The controversy also highlighted the need for transparency in the voting process. Many called for public disclosure of individual votes to understand better how such decisions were reached. This eventually led to changes in how the Ballon d'Or is administered and voted upon.
Comparing 2013 to other controversial Ballon d'Or decisions
The 2013 result wasn't the first controversial Ballon d'Or decision, nor would it be the last. However, it stands out because of the stark contrast between individual achievement and team success.
In 2010, Wesley Sneijder was widely considered robbed when he finished fourth despite winning the treble with Inter Milan and reaching the World Cup final with Netherlands. Like Ribéry, Sneijder's all-around contribution and team success were overshadowed by players with superior individual statistics.
More recently, Robert Lewandowski's 2020 season sparked similar debates. The Polish striker scored 55 goals and won the Champions League, yet finished second to Messi, who had a comparatively modest individual and team season. The pattern repeats: when team success and individual brilliance clash, controversy follows.
What makes 2013 unique is that Ribéry's case was so clear-cut. He won everything, was consistently excellent, and his team's dominance was unprecedented. The fact that he still finished third suggests systemic issues with how the award values different types of contribution.
The tactical evolution factor
Another aspect often overlooked is how the 2013 decision reflected changing perceptions of player roles. Ribéry was a traditional winger—creative, hardworking, but not a prolific goalscorer. Ronaldo represented the modern attacker: goal-centric, athletic, and statistically dominant.
The voting result suggested that the football community was increasingly valuing goal-scoring above all else, even for positions where creativity and chance creation might be more valuable. This shift has continued, with attacking midfielders and wingers now often judged primarily on their goal contributions rather than their overall playmaking ability.
Ribéry's style—the dribbles, the crosses, the defensive tracking—was becoming undervalued in favor of pure goal statistics. This tactical evolution meant that even outstanding performances in traditional roles struggled to compete with goal-scoring specialists.
Could the result have been different?
In hindsight, several factors could have changed the 2013 outcome. If the voting deadline hadn't been extended, if the weighting of different contributions had been clearer, or if voters had prioritized team success more heavily, Ribéry might have won.
The Ballon d'Or has since undergone significant changes. The merger with FIFA's award was short-lived, and the voting process has become more transparent. There's now greater emphasis on a player's performance over a full season rather than highlight moments.
Yet the fundamental tension remains: how do you compare a prolific goalscorer on a mediocre team against a creative force on a historic one? There's no perfect answer, which is why these debates continue to fascinate football fans.
Personally, I believe Ribéry should have won. His 2013 season represented the perfect blend of individual excellence and team success. He was the best player on the best team, and that combination deserves recognition. The fact that he didn't win says more about the award's criteria than about his performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Franck Ribéry considered robbed of the Ballon d'Or?
Franck Ribéry was considered robbed because he won the treble with Bayern Munich (Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League) and was the team's most influential player, yet finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who both played for trophyless teams in 2013.
What were Franck Ribéry's statistics in the 2013 season?
In the 2013 calendar year, Ribéry scored 15 goals and provided 23 assists in 43 appearances for Bayern Munich. He played in all three finals of Bayern's treble-winning season and was consistently excellent throughout, particularly in the Champions League where he was instrumental in victories over Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
How close was the voting in 2013?
The voting was relatively close by Ballon d'Or standards. Cristiano Ronaldo won with 1,365 points, Franck Ribéry finished second with 1,127 points (a gap of 238 points), and Lionel Messi was third with 1,023 points. The extension of the voting deadline after Ronaldo's World Cup playoff performance against Sweden was particularly controversial.
Has Bayern Munich or France commented on the 2013 Ballon d'Or result?
Yes, both Bayern Munich and the French football community expressed strong disappointment. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern's CEO, called the result a "farce." French media, particularly L'Équipe, faced criticism for the voting outcome. Many French football figures argued that Ribéry's treble and consistent excellence warranted the award over Ronaldo's individual statistics.
The Bottom Line
The 2013 Ballon d'Or controversy remains one of football's most debated topics because it exposed fundamental questions about what the award should represent. Franck Ribéry's case was compelling: treble winner, team leader, consistent excellence across all competitions. Yet he finished third behind two players whose seasons, while individually brilliant, lacked collective success.
This decision has influenced how we think about individual awards in football. It suggested that goal-scoring statistics often outweigh team achievements, and that reputation can trump current form. For Ribéry, it was a bitter disappointment in what should have been his crowning moment.
The controversy also highlighted the need for clearer criteria in award voting. Should the Ballon d'Or reward the best individual player regardless of team context? Or should it recognize the player who had the greatest overall impact, including team success? There's no perfect answer, but 2013 showed that the current system often produces controversial results.
Looking back, Ribéry's 2013 season deserves to be remembered as one of the great individual performances in football history. The fact that it wasn't rewarded with the sport's highest individual honor remains a significant oversight. Sometimes, football's greatest achievements don't receive their due recognition, and 2013 was one of those times.