"Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi weren't better than me in 2013" - Franck Ribery recalls missing out on Ballon d'Or with confident claim
Bayern Munich legend Franck Ribery has claimed that he was better than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013 after he missed out on the Ballon d'Or to the latter. Ribery made the podium but finished behind Ronaldo and Messi in the final standings despite arguably having a more dominant season.
Ribery had a sensational 2012-13 campaign for Bayern Munich, scoring 11 goals and providing 23 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions. His feats helped the Bavarians win the treble of the Bundesliga title, UEFA Champions League, and DFB-Pokal. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in 2013 to boost his credentials for a maiden Ballon d'Or.
However, to the shock of many fans across the globe, Cristiano Ronaldo lifted the prestigious award. The voting stage was controversially extended by two weeks for the first time in the award's history, which arguably led to the tide swinging in Ronaldo's favor.
Ribery recently told L'Equipe (via News18):
“It was the perfect year. I couldn’t have done better. That Ballon d’Or will forever remain an injustice. I’m still looking for an explanation. I’ll never understand why the closing date for the vote was extended by more than two weeks."
He added:
“Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo always showed me respect. They knew I was at their table. With all humility, they weren’t better than me in 2013."
Ronaldo secured the Golden Ball with 27.99 percent of the votes, while Lionel Messi finished in second place with 24.72 percent. Ribery had to settle for third place with 23.36 percent of the votes.
How did Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fare compared to Franck Ribery during the 2013 Ballon d'Or race?
Many in the footballing community believed Franck Ribery was robbed of winning the 2013 Ballon d'Or. Let's take a look at the stats of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during the 2012-13 campaign to see why the iconic pair finished ahead of Ribery in the final standings.
Ronaldo had a brilliant individual season for Real Madrid, netting 55 goals and registering 13 assists in 55 appearances across all competitions. However, the 2013 Ballon d'Or winner notably failed to win any silverware for Los Blancos that season.
On the other hand, Lionel Messi was also exceptional in front of goal, bagging 60 goals and 17 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions. The Argentine ace also won two trophies for Barcelona in 2013 - the LaLiga title and Supercopa de Espana.
