Franck Ribery is set to call time on his glittering career at the age of 39, according to a report from L'Equipe.
The former French international, capped 81 times for Les Bleus, is currently under contract to Italian side Salernitana, but hasn't turned out for the Serie A outfit since August because of knee problems.
Ribery is believed to have agreed to remain at Salernitana in an ambassador role until the end of the season. His playing days, though, are seemingly behind him.
The former Marseille, Bayern Munich and Fiorentina winger can look back on an exceptional 22-year run as a professional, during which he won nine Bundesliga titles and the Champions League - among a host of other accolades.
One honour that Ribery doesn't have to his name, however, is a Ballon d'Or.
After a career-best year in 2013 when he helped Bayern to a historic treble (Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB-Pokal), Ribery won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.
MARRAKECH, MOROCCO - DECEMBER 21: Franck Ribery of FC Bayern Munchen during the FIFA Club World Cup Final match between FC Bayern Munchen v Raja Casablanca at Marrakech Stadium on December 21, 2013 in Marrakech, Morocco. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
In his mind, the player believed he had done enough to get his hands on that year's coveted Ballon d'Or prize. Many observers also championed his claims, with Ribery favourite to win with bookmakers before the presentation ceremony took place.
France Football, though, handed the award to Cristiano Ronaldo for a second time. To add insult to injury, Ribery didn't even finish as runner-up. That distinction belonged to Lionel Messi.
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It's a snub that Ribery has never truly gotten over.
He's certainly had reason to feel aggrieved, too. Although Ronaldo made an impressive start to the 2013/14 season, the Portuguese star never actually lifted any silverware in 2013.
That fact is one that Ribery pointed out shortly after the results were announced, arguing, per Sport 360: "I feel I had earned this award. It’s all politics. I won everything, with the team and individually. Ronaldo won nothing."
MARRAKECH, MOROCCO - DECEMBER 21: Franck Ribery of FC Bayern Munchen during the FIFA Club World Cup Final match between FC Bayern Munchen v Raja Casablanca at Marrakech Stadium on December 21, 2013 in Marrakech, Morocco. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
Time has clearly done nothing to change Ribery's view, either.
"It was unfair," Ribery told La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this year, via Eurosport. "It was an incredible season for me, and I should have won it.
"They extended the time for votes, and something strange happened. I felt that it was a political choice."
Should Ribery have won the 2013 Ballon d'Or?
The player's claim for the prestigious honour is backed up by his highlights from the calendar year. A compilation entitled 'Did Franck Ribery Deserve Ballon d'Or 2013?' from YouTuber ASComps has been viewed more than 1.8 million times and shows just what a frighteningly good 12 months Ribery actually had.
The man had some of the world's top defenders on strings at the time and his understanding with fellow winger Arjen Robben was just on another level.
When Ribery was in full flow, there was very little opponents could do. The Frenchman even sat down Messi during a Champions League semi-final v Barcelona (see 1:08 in the video below) - a tie which the Bundesliga side completely dominated 7-0 on aggregate!
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Ilkay Gundogan of Borussia Dortmund tackles Franck Ribery of Bayern Muenchen during the UEFA Champions League final match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Muenchen at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2013 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)
When he wasn't tying defenders in knots with his trickery, Ribery found time to unleash some absolute screamers too.
We'll let you decide for yourself as to whether the Bayern favourite was actually 'robbed' of the 2013 Ballon d'Or, but there's no denying that he was one of the greatest ballers on the planet at the time when you check out his highlights.
Ribery's sensational 2013 highlights show he has a right to feel miffed over Ballon d'Or snub
Why didn't Ribery win the 2013 Ballon d'Or?
Although the French winger was a complete delight to watch as Bayern swept all before them in 2013, he only managed 22 goals for both club and country across the calendar year, per Eurosport.
In comparison, Messi found the net on 45 occasions, while Ronaldo notched an astonishing 66 goals. Earning the right to call yourself the greatest footballer on the planet should be about more than simply the number of goals you score.
However, it does appear that Ronaldo and Messi's sheer weight of goals across the 12 months played a part in the final outcome.