Every English Footballer to Win the Ballon d'Or
Five English players have won the Ballon d'Or, from Sir Stanley Matthews in 1956 to Harry Kane in 2026. Here is the story behind every winner.
Sir Stanley Matthews, 1956
Stanley Matthews made history before the Ballon d'Or had even established itself as the global prize it is today.
He won the inaugural award in 1956 while playing for Blackpool, beating Real Madrid's Alfredo Di Stéfano and Raymond Kopa in the voting.
Matthews' achievement was remarkable for several reasons.
He was 41 years old when he won, making him the oldest player ever to receive the Ballon d'Or. His award recognized a brilliant 1955/56 season in which he helped Blackpool finish second in the English First Division.
Matthews was renowned for his dribbling and creativity on the wing, and his longevity made him one of the defining English players of his generation.
He also holds a unique place in Ballon d'Or history as the winner of the very first edition.
Seventy years later, the 2026 ceremony was held in London partly as a tribute to Matthews and his place in the award's history.
Sir Bobby Charlton, 1966
Ten years after Matthews became the first winner, Bobby Charlton became the second English player to claim the award.
His victory came during the most celebrated year in English soccer history.
Charlton was a key figure for England at the 1966 World Cup, scoring three goals during the tournament. Two of those came in the semifinal against Portugal, when his goals helped England reach the final.
England defeated West Germany 4-2 after extra time at Wembley to win the World Cup.
Charlton's performances earned him the 1966 Ballon d'Or, making him the second English winner and the first Manchester United player to receive the award.
His victory also meant England had produced two Ballon d'Or winners within the first 11 editions of the award.
Kevin Keegan, 1978 and 1979
Kevin Keegan achieved something no other English player has managed.
He won the Ballon d'Or twice.
Keegan claimed his first award in 1978 while playing for Hamburg. He had moved to the German club from Liverpool the previous year and quickly established himself as one of Europe's leading players.
He retained the award in 1979 after helping Hamburg win the Bundesliga title.
Keegan scored 17 league goals during that 1978/79 campaign, including 11 across the final 12 matches as Hamburg pushed toward the championship.
His back-to-back victories remain unique among English winners.
There have been plenty of English players who have finished highly in the voting since Keegan, but none have matched his two consecutive victories.
Michael Owen, 2001
It took 22 years for another English player to win the Ballon d'Or.
Michael Owen claimed the award in 2001 after a remarkable season with Liverpool.
The 2000/01 campaign produced five major trophies for Liverpool, including the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup.
Owen played a central role in that success. His two late goals against Arsenal in the FA Cup final helped Liverpool come from behind to win 2-1, while his performances throughout the season established him as one of the most dangerous young forwards in world soccer.
His international form also contributed to his Ballon d'Or campaign.
Owen scored a memorable hat-trick against Germany in a 5-1 World Cup qualifying victory in Munich.
He finished ahead of Spain's Raúl and Germany's Oliver Kahn in the Ballon d'Or voting.
Owen was just 22 when he won, making his achievement particularly notable given how early he reached the top of the individual game.
He also became the first Liverpool player to win the award.
And then came the longest wait in English Ballon d'Or history.
Harry Kane, 2026
Twenty-five years after Owen's victory, Harry Kane brought the award back to England.
Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or after a remarkable season with Bayern Munich and England.
He scored 73 goals in 65 games across club and country during the 2025/26 campaign, including 61 for Bayern and 12 for England.
His season also included three trophies with Bayern: the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. He finished as the Bundesliga's leading scorer for the third consecutive season and scored 14 goals in the Champions League as Bayern reached the semifinals.
Kane finished ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal in the Ballon d'Or voting.
His victory made him the fifth English winner and the first since Owen in 2001.
It also gave England a Ballon d'Or winner in the same year that the 70th edition of the award was celebrated in London, 70 years after Matthews won the inaugural prize.
Five winners across 70 years
The five English winners represent very different eras of the game.
Matthews was a winger who won the first-ever award at the age of 41. Charlton's victory came after England's only World Cup triumph. Keegan won twice in consecutive years while starring for Hamburg. Owen's award followed Liverpool's extraordinary cup-winning season in 2000/01.
Kane's victory brought the story up to date, ending a quarter-century without an English Ballon d'Or winner.
The complete list is:
- 1956: Sir Stanley Matthews
- 1966: Sir Bobby Charlton
- 1978: Kevin Keegan
- 1979: Kevin Keegan
- 2001: Michael Owen
- 2026: Harry Kane
That means five players have produced six Ballon d'Or victories for England.
Keegan remains the only English player to win twice, while Kane is now the most recent name on a list that began with Matthews 70 years earlier.