England's Ballon d'Or roll of honour

Several England players have been recognised on the world stage for their contributions for club and country, with the following Three Lions stars all picking up the Ballon d’Or award during their careers.

Sir Stanley Matthews

Sir Stanley Matthews was the winner of the inaugural European Footballer of the Year award, which became the Ballon d'Or, back in 1956.

Playing for Blackpool at the time, the England international beat Real Madrid's Alfredo Di Stéfano into second place and Raymond Kopa into third.

Known for his exceptional dribbling ability and creativity on the wing, Matthews' award-winning 1955-56 season saw him inspire Blackpool to a second-place finish in the First Division, their highest league position in 25 years.

Remarkably, Matthews was 41 years old when he won the award, making him the oldest Ballon d’Or winner in history.

Sir Bobby Charlton

Sir Bobby Charlton capped off a memorable year in 1966 when he was awarded the Ballon d'Or for his outstanding performances for England at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, which the Three Lions won on home soil.

Charlton scored three goals during the tournament, including both goals in England's memorable 2-1 semi-final victory over Portugal. He was named in the Team of the Tournament for his influential performances as England lifted the trophy with a 4-2 win over West Germany after extra time in the final.

Kevin Keegan

In 1978, Kevin Keegan became the third English player to win the Ballon d'Or when he picked up the accolade while playing for Hamburg. 

He then retained the award in 1979 after helping Hamburg win their first Bundesliga title since 1960. 

Keegan scored 17 league goals that season, including 11 in the final 12 matches of the campaign, as Hamburg surged to the championship. 

Keegan remains the only English player to have won the Ballon d'Or in consecutive years.

Michael Owen

Having enjoyed an outstanding year with Liverpool, winning five major trophies, Michael Owen was recognised with the Ballon d'Or in 2001.

Owen played a key role in Liverpool's historic cup treble that season, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes of their 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Arsenal to secure the trophy, while also helping the Reds lift the League Cup and UEFA Cup. 

On the international stage, Owen netted a memorable hat-trick in England's 5-1 World Cup qualifying victory over Germany in Munich.

Owen finished ahead of Spain’s Raúl and Germany's Oliver Kahn, who finished second and third respectively, becoming the first Liverpool player to win the prestigious individual award.