Harry Kane might soon earn a special double award that hasn’t happened in 33 years, thanks to his Ballon d’Or win.
Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or win could end a long wait for an English player to win the award—a streak that’s been going since 1994. On Monday night in London, Kane won the men’s Ballon d’Or for the first time, beating out tough competition from Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.
Now, everyone’s wondering what’s next for England’s top goal scorer ever. A Downing Street spokesperson didn’t completely rule out the idea of Kane getting a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours list, but they also didn’t make any promises. If Kane does get knighted, he would break a pattern among English winners that’s lasted over 30 years.
Take Sir Bobby Charlton, for example. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1966 after England won the World Cup, but had to wait nearly 28 years before being knighted in 1994 for his services to football. At that time, Charlton was already a CBE, which is the third-highest rank in the British honours system. Kane, on the other hand, is currently an MBE, the fifth-highest rank, so a knighthood would be a big step up.
Kevin Keegan, the only English player to win the Ballon d’Or twice, was honored with an OBE, the fourth-highest rank. After his passing earlier this year, some called for him to receive a posthumous knighthood. Sir Stanley Matthews, who won the first-ever Ballon d’Or in 1956, was knighted just over a decade later in 1967, after first being made an OBE.
Michael Owen is the only English Ballon d’Or winner who has never received any honour. He won the award back in 2001. Keegan got his MBE while he was still playing, back in 1982, when he was on track to be the top scorer in the First Division with 26 goals for Southampton.
It’s never been clear why Keegan never got a knighthood. He never spoke about it directly but said after becoming England’s full-time manager in 1999: “I know what comes with the job. People in this country get very emotional about football, and that’s what I like about it. It’s my job not to get beheaded. I don’t want a knighthood but I want to keep my head on my shoulders.”
Besides Kane and the players mentioned, 10 others—including David Beckham, Geoff Hurst, and Gareth Southgate—have been knighted for their contributions to football or sport.