Football's world governing body FIFA named Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery as the three nominations from a 10-player shortlist for the Ballon d'Or award. The winner will be announced on January 13.
Bayern Munich's talismanic playmaker Franck Ribery is fit to start in the Champions League semi-final against Olympique Lyon on Wednesday after skipping training because of muscular problems.
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery scored a sensational volley to lead the German champions to a 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday that sent them eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with six matches left. Frenchman Ribery, who has missed most of the season due to injury, took off at the edge of the box and sent his mid-air volley past Lukas Hradecky in the 20th minute after the keeper had initially saved a shot from Mario Goetze. It was the 32-year-old's second goal of the campaign after being sidelined for eight months with an ankle problem and then suffering another injury that kept him out until last month. Bayern found no resistance from Eintracht and Xabi Alonso rattled the crossbar with a free kick early in the second half with the hosts enjoying close to 70 percent possession.
Holders Bayern Munich eased into the German Cup third round with a comfortable 3-1 win at Hamburg SV on Wednesday to continue their unbeaten domestic run as they prepare for Saturday's league clash against Borussia Dortmund.
Real Madrid's bid to buy Valencia striker David Villa has foundered and Bayern Munich's asking price for Franck Ribery is far too high, director general Jorge Valdano said on Tuesday.
Bayern Munich will be without experienced Franck Ribery when they meet Manchester City in their Champions League Group E opener on Wednesday with fellow winger Arjen Robben also doubtful, coach Pep Guardiola said.
France winger Franck Ribery will play in his last World Cup in Brazil, the Bayern Munich player said on Wednesday.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo are the three final contenders for the 2013 Ballon d'Or award.
Mario Gomez kept up his Bayern Munich revival when he scored twice and won a penalty to inspire the Bundesliga champions to a 3-0 win over Nuremberg on Sunday.
France winger Franck Ribery is highly unlikely to recover from an ankle injury in time to feature for Bayern Munich in the Champions League fixture against Porto, coach Pep Guardiola said on the eve of the match on Monday.
France's World Cup chances suffered a severe blow when influential winger Franck Ribery was ruled out with lower back problems on Friday.
France winger Franck Ribery's decision to retire from international football after missing the World Cup could lead to a suspension from club football, UEFA president Michel Platini said on Sunday.
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A 2018 World Cup finalist, Perisic, who also played for Borussia Dortmund and VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga between 2011 and 2015, will play for Bayern starting on Friday.
Bayern Munich fought back with a deflected own goal and a late header from Thiago to claim a 2-1 win at Sevilla in an exciting Champions League quarter-final, first leg clash.
Champions Bayern Munich needed an 88th-minute winner by Joshua Kimmich to beat Hamburg SV 1-0 on Saturday and protect their three-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga. Strugglers Hamburg had battled hard to protect a goalless draw and end a three-game losing run, with goalkeeper Rene Adler making a string of key saves before Kimmichdrilled in a Franck Ribery cutback at the far post. The result lifted Bayern to 15 points, three ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who beat Freiburg 3-1 on Friday.
Robert Lewandowski's hat-trick helped give coach Carlo Ancelotti a flying start to his first Bundesliga campaign as Bayern Munich cruised to an easy 6-0 win over Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena on Friday.
Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
Hulk signs two-year contract with Atletico Mineiro.
Women's Bundesliga can restart on May 29, says the German Football Association (DFB).
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Holders Real Madrid came from a goal down to snatch a precious 2-1 victory at wasteful Bayern Munich on Wednesday and carry a considerable advantage into their Champions League semi-final second leg in Spain.
Bayern Munich players were left shaking their heads after Real Madrid made the most of their few opportunities to earn a 2-1 comeback victory in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
Bayern Munich eased past Nuremberg 2-0 on Saturday with Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben on target to maintain a perfect start to the season and join a cluster of teams with nine points at the top of the table.
Champions Bayern Munich crushed Stuttgart 5-1 on Tuesday to ease into the German Cup quarter-finals after a six-week winter break. Hamburg SV striker Ivica Olic scored a hat-trick against 1860 Munich to lead his team into the quarter-finals and show why Bayern Munich rushed to sign him for next season.
Bayern Munich gained some revenge for their 2012 Champions League final defeat by Chelsea when they beat the Premier League club 5-4 on penalties after a thrilling UEFA Super Cup ended 2-2 at the end of extra-time on Friday.
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when the final three contenders for the 2012-13 UEFA Best Player.
Barcelona have been haunted by their recent failures in the Champions League and there are concerning signs for the Catalans as they prepare for Tuesday's last-16 first leg away to Olympique Lyonnais.
France's Euro 2008 squad are missing Zinedine Zidane, playmaker Franck Ribery and goalkeeper Gregory Coupet said on Sunday. Coupet said Zidane's retirement was one of the reasons why France, thrashed 4-1 by Netherlands on Friday after drawing 0-0 with Romania on Monday, were toiling at these finals.
Bayern Munich showed no signs of letting up as they routed Eintracht Frankfurt 5-0 on Sunday for their 10th straight home win of the season in the Bundesliga.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich were made to work extremely hard for a 3-1 victory at VfB Stuttgart on Saturday that sent them eight points clear at the top of the table with five games left.
Real Madrid lifted the FIFA Club World Cup for a record fourth time on Saturday after thrashing local side Al Ain 4-1 in the final in Abu Dhabi with the help of impressive distance strikes in either half from midfielders Luka Modric and Marcos Llorente.
Injury-hit Bayern Munich crushed third-tier Preussen Muenster 4-1 away on Sunday to bounce back from their midweek Super Cup defeat and launch a successful defence of their German Cup title.
Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho scored two poacher's goals as they beat Manchester United 3-1 in their FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday to set up a last-four clash against Southampton.
Holders Bayern Munich left Champions League aspirants Manchester City chasing shadows with a 3-1 win on Wednesday to serve notice Pep Guardiola will leave no stone unturned to re-establish their continental dominance.
FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo must continue to maintain his exceptional high standards in order to be classed among the sport's legends, according to Brazil great Pele who compared the Portuguese to Eusebio.
Japan international Shinji Kagawa sparkled on his return to Borussia Dortmund, scoring one goal for the Ruhr Valley club and helping set up another in a 3-1 win over Freiburg on Saturday.
In-form Borussia Moenchengladbach struck three times in 14 minutes in the second half to floor champions Bayern Munich 3-1 on Saturday and inflict their first Bundesliga defeat of the season.
Bayern Munich's surprise 3-1 Champions League loss to Porto was the price the five-time European champions paid for a string of injuries and a tired squad.
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