Ranking England's Ballon d'Or winners: Keegan tops, Kane fifth
Harry Kane has become the fifth English player to win the Ballon d'Or, ending a 25-year drought for the nation with his standout season at Bayern Munich. He joins Michael Owen, Kevin Keegan, Bobby Charlton, and Stanley Matthews as the only English winners of the award. Kane's victory follows a remarkable campaign where he scored 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern, securing a league and cup double, while also netting 12 times for England during their World Cup semi-final run. The award has evolved significantly since its inception, expanding from a European-only prize to a global one in 2007. Kevin Keegan is ranked as England's greatest Ballon d'Or winner, being the only British player to win the award twice, achieving back-to-back triumphs in 1978 and 1979 with Hamburg. Bobby Charlton's pivotal role in England's 1966 World Cup victory earns him second place, while Matthews, Owen, and Kane round out the ranking.