Just 15 English players have ever made it to the top three in the Ballon d’Or, and four of them actually won it.
If Harry Kane wins his first Ballon d’Or on Monday night, he’ll join some football legends like Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan, and Michael Owen. At 33 years old, Kane has had an amazing run, scoring 73 goals in 65 games from August 2025 to July 2026. He’s one of the top favorites to win football’s biggest individual award.
Right now, the Bayern Munich and England striker is actually the front-runner. The race is expected to be super close, but if Kane beats stars like Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to win the golden ball, he’ll become only the fifth English player ever to do so.
Kane is also almost guaranteed to be on the podium Monday. Over the years, 15 English players have made the top three in the Ballon d’Or. One of the recent ones is Jude Bellingham, who came third in 2024 after Vinicius Jr and Rodri. Bellingham was the first English player to reach the podium in 19 years. Before him, Steven Gerrard (3rd) and Frank Lampard (2nd) were there back in 2005, when Ronaldinho won.
Michael Owen won the Ballon d’Or in 2001, ending a 23-year wait for an English winner. Back then, he scored 24 goals in 46 games for Liverpool. Funny enough, he later said he hadn’t even heard of the award before winning it. Two years earlier, David Beckham finished second in 1999 behind Rivaldo, while Alan Shearer came third in 1996. Shearer once shared that he skipped the Ballon d’Or afterparty after losing to Matthias Sammer, saying, “I was really, really disappointed.”
Going further back, Gary Lineker finished second in 1986, after his England teammate Kevin Keegan became the only Englishman to win the award twice, in 1978 and 1979. Keegan even came second in 1977. Both Keegan and Manchester United great Sir Bobby Charlton hold the English record for most times on the podium, with three each.
Here’s a quick look at English Ballon d’Or podium finishes:
– Sir Stanley Matthews: 1st (1956)
– Billy Wright: 2nd (1957)
– Duncan Edwards: Joint 3rd (1957)
– Johnny Haynes: 3rd (1961)
– Jimmy Greaves: 3rd (1963)
– Sir Bobby Charlton: 1st (1966), 2nd (1967, 1968)
– Bobby Moore: 2nd (1970)
– Kevin Keegan: 2nd (1977), 1st (1978, 1979)
– Gary Lineker: 2nd (1986)
– Alan Shearer: 3rd (1996)
– David Beckham: 2nd (1999)
– Michael Owen: 1st (2001)
– Frank Lampard: 2nd (2005)
– Steven Gerrard: 3rd (2005)
– Jude Bellingham: 3rd (2024)
If Kane wins, he’ll proudly add his name to this impressive list!