8 minutes read
Last night, Harry Kane joined an exclusive club by winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or. The England captain became the seventh British player to receive the award, following in the footsteps of Stanley Matthews, Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen. With eight Ballon d’Or awards shared between these seven players, thanks in particular to Keegan’s back-to-back victories in 1978 and 1979, the United Kingdom has a rich history with football’s most prestigious individual prize. Here is a look back at the winners who have shaped that history, from 1956 to 2026.