The Ballon d’Or -Voting always arouses a debate and the 2025 edition was no different after Monday’s ceremony in Paris.
English players are traditionally overlooked for the greatest individual honor of football, with only four – Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen – who once claimed the Ballon d’Or.
It is 24 years since Owen claimed the last of those victories for England, while only four English players have presented in the top 10 of the mood in the past decade.
The four English players to end the top 10 in the Ballon d’Or since 2015
Jamie Vardy – 8th (2016, Leicester City)
Jamie Vardy finished eighth in the 2016 mood after his role in the historic season of Leicester City. Vardy scored 24 league goals when Leicester won the Premier League title, in one of the largest shock successes of sport.
The Foxes had started the season as relegation favorites, after they had just avoided the drop the previous season. Supported by the goals of Vardy, the side of Claudio Ranieri was crowned English top champions for the first time in their history.
Vardy, who won the FWA footballer of the year, finished eighth in the mood, a position among Leicester teammate Riyad Mahrez.
Harry Kane – 10th (2017 and 2018, Tottenham Hotspur)
There was some indignation that Harry Kane ended the 2025 mood in 13th place, despite a brilliant season in Bayern Munich. Kane scored 41 goals for Club and Country in 2024/25 and led Bayern to the Bundesliga title.
It means that his highest placement remains 10th, reached in 2017 and 2018. He won the Golden Boot from the Premier League during the first of those successes, and the Golden Boot 2018 when England reached the semi -final in Russia. For a football player who has been recognized for ten years as one of the world’s best attackers, his highest ranking ever seems low.
Jude Bellingham – 3rd (2024, Real Madrid)
Jude Bellingham has come closer than any other Englishman in winning the Ballon d’Or in the past decade. Bellingham finished third in 2024, after a stunning debut season in Real Madrid. The midfielder was named La Liga player of the season after scoring 19 league goals for the Spanish side.
Jude Bellingham was named La Liga’s player of the season in his first year in Spain!
It is not difficult to see why fans of Real Madrid love him! https://t.co/wtowialr75 pic.twitter.com/8motxbzvnq
– BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 29, 2024
His performances helped Real Madrid to A la Liga and Champions League Double, but he finished behind Rodri and teammate Vinicius Junior in the last Ballon d’Or mound.
Cole Palmer – 8th (2025, Chelsea)
Cole Palmer ended this year’s prices in the eighth, the highest rank of every English player. Palmer scored 18 goals in all matches for Chelsea, which won both the Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Cole Palmer is the best English player in the world. 🌏🏴 #Ballondor pic.twitter.com/edH0306ADG
– Bridgways. (@Bridgways) September 22, 2025
The midfielder was crucial in both triumphs and won the man-of-the-match award in every final.
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See more – Ballon d’Or 2025: the top 30 rankings completely
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