Who was the last English player to win Ballon d'Or - and when was it?

Monday will see a new player crowned the best in the world at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, with three England players nominated for the award.Football superstars, coaches, and dignitaries will descend upon London for the first Ballon d’Or ceremony hosted in the English capital on Monday, October 26, with Kane the frontrunners for the award.With Kane favourite to win the award, fans may wonder who was the last English player to win the Ballon d’Or. In total four Englishmen have been named the world’s best player.Who was the last English player to win Ballon d'Or and when was it?You would have to go back to the start of the century to find the last time and English player won the Ballon d’Or. In 2001 Liverpool starlet Michael Owen was voted the best player in the world, receiving 176 points to beat Real Madrid legend Raul in second, the striker earning 140 points.Aged 22 when receiving the trophy, Owen had helped Liverpool win a treble in the 2000/01 season - the FA Cup, UEFA Cup, and League Cup.The Chester-born striker scored 24 goals - including twice in 10 minutes during the FA Cup final. His electric pace drew both attention and praise, with the Liverpool man viewed as one of the most exciting players to watch in the world.Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard came close to winning the Ballon d’Or in 2005 - the former finishing second and the latter third in voting. Aside from eventual winner Ronaldinho, the midfield duo were the only players to receive over 100 points in voting - 148 and 142 respectively.However, that was still some distance away from Ronaldinho’s total of 225 points.Kevin Keegan won the Ballon d’Or in back-to-back yearsKevin Keegan remains the only Englishman to win the award twice, in 1978 and 1979, before a long wait until Owen received the Ballon d’Or in 2001.Follow the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony live on Standard Sport!