Franck Ribery has admitted that he is "a little bit sad" that Paris Saint-Germain hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be in contention for the Ballon d'Or in January.
The France international will contest the game's most coveted individual prize next month alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi after the trio were named among the finalists.
However, the Bayern Munich ace has expressed his disappointment that Ibrahimovic - who has hit 53 goals in 2013 - will not be in the reckoning for the award.
Speaking to FIFA.com, Ribery said: "I'm happy. Happy for myself, for the club, and for my whole family.
"But I am a little bit sad for Ibrahimovic because he's still a great player and has done great things at Paris Saint-Germain."
The winner of the gong will be announced at a FIFA ceremony in Zurich on January 13.