Position: Winger
Date of Birth: April 7, 1983
Club: Bayern Munich
International Debut: v Mexico (May 27, 2006)
World Cup Appearances: 10
World Cup Goals: 1
France winger Franck Ribery has established himself as one of the best players in world football.
However, the 2014 FIFA World Cup will provide his last chance to shine on international football's biggest stage.
Ribery has served as one of the architects of Bayern Munich's unprecedented success in recent times, and received recognition for his achievements by placing third in the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or vote, behind winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Some argued that Ribery deserved to win the award that recognises the planet's best player after helping Bayern become the first German side to win the treble in 2012-13.
His club coach, Pep Guardiola, was among them, saying: "Franck, he has an unbelievable heart to play this game. For me it is an honour to be able to train him."
And the 31-year-old will have the chance to prove his worth alongside the world's finest in Brazil this June and July, as France aim to return to former glories following a disappointing showing at the last World Cup.
On that occasion, at South Africa 2010, they earned just a single point as they were eliminated from a group that also contained the hosts, as well as Uruguay and Mexico.
Ribery appeared in all three of France's group games, however, he was unable to make any sort of impact as the 1998 winners imploded on and off the field under then coach Raymond Domenech.
That performance was in stark contrast to France and Ribery's showing at the 2006 tournament in Germany, where the winger played a key role in his country's run to the final, appearing in every game and scoring in the last-16 win over Spain as France surged to the Berlin showpiece, only to lose to Italy in a heart-breaking penalty shoot-out.
France are outsiders to replicate that feat this time around, but if Didier Deschamps’ side are to make significant progress then it will be Ribery who is expected to deliver the goods.
Indeed, he was instrumental in France's qualification campaign, serving as the main creative presence in a team packed with stars from across Europe's top leagues.
The former Galatasaray and Marseille man was on target five times in qualification as Deschamps' men made sure of their place in the finals by virtue of a dramatic 3-2 aggregate play-off triumph over Ukraine.
Ribery's performances for both club and country have been largely impressive this term, although the Boulogne-born playmaker came in for criticism in the latter part of the campaign as Bayern's form faltered after they retained the Bundesliga title in clinical fashion.
He will now hope to prove his doubters wrong at the World Cup, where his pace, dynamism and creativity will be used as a key weapon for Deschamps in group-stage games against Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras.
Ribery will be 35 by the time the 2018 tournament comes around and has already confirmed that he will not make himself available for that tournament, so time has almost run out for him to add a World Cup winners' medal to his illustrious collection.
Few will tip France to go all the way and reach the final in Rio de Janeiro this year, but if they can make their way out of what appears to be a relatively kind group then the stage could just be set for Ribery to cement his legacy as one of the game's modern greats.