The French winger was abandoned by his biological parents at the age of two and sustained horrific facial injuries in a crash with a lorry, requiring over 100 stitches and leaving him with permanent scars which would be later used to torment him at school.
Speaking in his native France, the 34-year-old said that such experiences helped him develop as a person: "[Parents of children I was at school with] gave me character and this strength, because when you are a child and you have a scar like this, it's not easy."
"Wherever I went, people would look at me. And not because I was a good person or because my name is Franck or [because I] was a good footballer, but because of the scar."
He continued: "The people who talk about you are the parents [of other children], and this is very cruel. [However,] I never went to a corner and cried, despite suffering."
Using his difficult childhood years as motivation, Ribery has gone on to win seven Bundesliga titles, three German Cups and the 2013 Champions League for Bayern Munich since joining from Marseille in 2007, becoming a central figure in the club's success.
Internationally, he represented France 81 times and scored 16 goals before retiring in 2014.