5 players from the modern era who regularly miss international tournaments

#5 Franck Ribery

Ribery last played for France during the 2014 World Cup qualification process

Franck Ribery first appeared in an international tournament for France in the 2006 World Cup and appeared in all their matches including the final against Germany. Known for his pace, energy and skill, the left winger made himself an integral part of the French setup. He was also part of the “imbeciles” of the 2010 French World Cup squad that revolted against Raymond Domenech.

In the lead up to the 2014 World Cup, Ribery suffered a back injury in March 2014 which was initially not deemed serious enough to rule him out of the World Cup. The true seriousness of the injury was uncovered later and it led Ribery to miss the 2014 edition of the World Cup, an event Ribery described as “death to the soul”. He later retired from international football.

Prior to Euro 2016, the Bayern Munich man gave indications he would come out of his self-imposed retirement if Didier Deschamps would select him for the continental tournament. The move found no favours with the national coach as the winger had only played 13 Bundesliga games for the Bavarians in the previous season.