Ballon d'Or Favorite Harry Kane and England's Long Wait Since Michael Owen

It's been 25 long years since an Englishman last won the Ballon d'Or, securing their status as the best player on the planet. That, of course, was Michael Owen, who shone for Liverpool throughout the 2000/01 season, netting 24 goals in all competitions as the Reds claimed a treble of sorts by winning the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup, and the League Cup. The then-21-year-old sealed his spot as the planet's best with a stunning hat-trick in England's 5-1 demolition of Germany in Munich, and a quarter of a century on from that famous night, one of his compatriots could finally be about to follow in his footsteps.

Kane's Spectacular Season

That is Harry Kane, a man who ironically currently plies his trade with Bayern Munich. The England captain was in blistering form throughout the 2025/26 season, racking up a mighty 73 goals for club and country in the second-best scoring season by any player since 2000, solely behind Lionel Messi’s 82 in 69 matches for Barcelona and Argentina in 2011/12. His exploits helped his Bavarian club romp to a famous domestic treble as they won the Bundesliga, the Super Cup, and the DFB Pokal, with the former Spurs striker bagging a brilliant hat-trick in the latter.

For his country, Kane was front and center, just as he always is. He netted six goals at this summer's World Cup, including a stunning late brace in the Round of 32 victory against DR Congo, when his nation needed its captain more than ever. In the end, the run would end in heartbreak, as it always seems to do for England, as Argentina mounted a late comeback of their own to send Kane and Co. packing in the semifinals, but not before the England skipper had underscored his credentials as to why exactly he should be awarded the Ballon d'Or this year.

Online betting sites are seemingly in agreement. The latest odds from the popular Lucky Rebel Sportsbook currently make the 33-year-old marksman an odds-on 4/6 favorite to become England's first winner of the award since 2001. However, his candidacy is far from a sure-fire thing.

Yamal and Mbappe Lurk

Both Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe are also considered contenders, with the former listed as the 11/4 second-favorite and the latter further out at 5/1. Both have very valid claims to the award, with Yamal helping his club team win both La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup last season, as well as helping Spain win the World Cup, while Mbappe's 66 goals for club and country — ten of which came at the World Cup, making him the tournament's all-time leading scorer.

Not only that, but both have also been staking their claim in the press in recent days. Speaking to Movistar, Yamal said that he and Mbappé were the best in the world, but that he deserved the award this year because of what he'd won. Mbappé pleaded his own case, saying to France Football, "There was no player better than me," in reference to his exploits last season.

But even so, the frontrunner remains Kane, and it remains to be seen whether England's all-time top scorer and arguably greatest ever player is rewarded for his exploits.

England's Near Misses

Since Owen's triumph in 2001, very few Englishmen have truly come close to claiming the biggest personal prize in men's football. But in 2005, England did provide two of that year's top three in Ballon d'Or voting.

Both Gerrard and Lampard Fail to Usurp Ronaldinho

Frank Lampard managed to secure enough votes for third place after a blockbuster year for Chelsea. The goal-scoring midfielder netted 19 goals in all competitions in that 2004/05 season as he helped the Blues win the Premier League for the first time in 50 years in dominant fashion. Under Jose Mourinho, the Stamford Bridge outfit conceded just 15 goals all season — a Premier League record which still stands today and may well never be topped — winning the title by 12 points.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard finished just ahead of his Three Lions teammate in second, primarily thanks to his exploits in leading a relatively weak Reds side to Champions League glory that season. Stevie G netted a crucial last-minute thunderbolt to keep his side's dreams alive against Olympiacos in the group stage. Then, with his side 3-0 down in the final against one of the finest AC Milan teams ever assembled, Gerrard would drag his side kicking and screaming back into the contest.

He netted a brilliant header to reduce the arrears to 3-1. Then, after Vladimir Smicer had scored another from the edge of the area, Gerrard won his side a penalty to level things up at 3-3. Xabi Alonso would eventually score after initially being thwarted by Dida, and Liverpool would pull off one of the greatest upsets of all time as they eventually won on penalties.

But both of them were ultimately beaten to the award by Barcelona's Ronaldinho, who was simply unplayable throughout 2005. He starred as the Blaugrana won La Liga for the first time in six years, before then going on to help the club win the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 14 years the following year.

Rodri Edges Out Bellingham

Jude Bellingham is another who came close to winning the award. He finished third in 2024 after a spectacular maiden campaign for Real Madrid. He scored a career-high 23 goals in all competitions from midfield as Los Blancos claimed a famous league and Champions League double. In the end, though, that wasn't enough either, with club teammate Vinicius Junior finishing ahead of him in second, with both of them behind Spain's all-conquering captain Rodri, who became the first defensive midfielder to win the award.