The answer to how many English players have won the Ballon d'Or is four, with Michael Owen the last to do it back in 2001. That long gap is what makes the question so striking now, especially with three England players among the 30 nominees for 2026.
The Ballon d'Or has been around since 1956, and England's winners are spread across different eras. Sir Stanley Matthews was the first Englishman to take the award, Sir Bobby Charlton followed in 1966 after helping England to the World Cup, and Kevin Keegan won it twice, in 1978 and 1979.
Michael Owen remains the most recent English winner
Owen's 2001 triumph is still the last time an English player has gone all the way. He finished with 176 points, ahead of Raul on 140, after a season in which he scored 24 goals in the 2000/01 campaign. It was enough to put him at the top of the Ballon d'Or vote and seal a place in English football history.
Owen has since pointed to that long wait, saying you would have to go back to the start of the century to find the last time an English player won the Ballon d'Or. That is now even more relevant with Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice all named among the 2026 nominees, but the award has not returned to England since Owen's win.
England's long wait goes on
There have been near misses along the way. In 2005, Frank Lampard finished second and Steven Gerrard third behind Ronaldinho, underlining how close England players can come without quite landing the prize.
The next chance to end that run comes with the Ballon d'Or ceremony scheduled for Monday, October 26, in London. But for now, the facts remain simple: four Englishmen have won the Ballon d'Or, and Michael Owen is still the most recent.
