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The Ballon d'Or is the crown jewel in the world of football, a symbol of excellence and recognition for the world's elite players. Each year, a panel of international journalists, coaches, and professionals comes together to choose the best footballer of the year. Awarded by France Football, it is a coveted award that everyone dreams of winning. But only a select few have the opportunity to hold aloft the famous golden ball.
It was first awarded in 1956 to Sir Stanley Matthews, an English footballer who played for Blackpool FC at the time. Including him, a total of four English players have won the award a total of five times. However, it may come as a surprise that it's been a long time since an English player has been in the top three, with the last time happening in 2005.
On this list, we take a look at the last five English footballers who have finished in the top three of the Ballon d'Or rankings. Without further ado, let's dive straight in.
#5 Alan Shearer ranked second in 1996
Many fans might know Alan Shearer from the fact that he is the man with the most goals in Premier League history (260). Shearer played for two clubs in the Premier League, having moved from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United in the summer of 1996.
This was not the only remarkable thing that happened that year. Shearer attained his all-time highest Ballon d'Or ranking for 1996 finishing third in the race behind Ronaldo Nazario of Brazil and the winner Matthias Sammer of Germany. While he didn't win the award during his career, Shearer will always go down as one of the best English footballers of all time.
#4 David Beckham grabbed the silver in 1999
The co-owner of Inter Miami CF and a legend of the game, David Beckham is probably a name even non-football fans may have heard of. One of the most prolific English players of all time, Beckham finished second in the Ballon d'Or rankings in 1999.
This was a particularly memorable year for Beckham as it was also the year when he helped Manchester United win the treble (Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League), a historic achievement for the club and for English football. It's worth mentioning how Beckham helped the team score two goals in injury time in the UEFA Champions League final with two magical corners.
#3 Michael Owen was the last English player to win the Ballon d'Or (2001)
Michael Owen is the only player in history who has won the Ballon d'Or while playing for Liverpool. He ranked above Raúl from Real Madrid and Oliver Kahn of Bayern Munich to win the award in 2001.
His achievements that year included the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, the Charity Shield, the UEFA Super Cup, and the UEFA Cup, which is now known as the Europa League. As things stand, Owen is the latest Englishman to have received the prestigious award.
#2 Steven Gerrard ranked third in 2005
The iconic midfield maestro, Steven Gerrard, is easily one of the biggest legends of English football. Having scored 120 goals in his 504 Premier League appearances, he is second only to Frank Lampard in the list of midfielders with the most goals in the competition.
He reached his career-high Ballon d'Or rankings in 2005. Liverpool won their fifth Champions League title this year and Gerrard played a vital role in making it possible. This was also the only time he lifted the said trophy. The award, that year, was given to FC Barcelona's Ronaldinho.
#1 Frank Lampard finished just above Gerrard in 2005
The two English midfielders, Lampard and Gerrard, both reached their highest rankings at the award in the same year. While the latter attained the third ranking, Frank Lampard managed to finish second that year having obtained 148 points from the journalists compared to the 142 received by Gerrard.
Lampard had a trophy-laden season with Chelsea, winning the EFL Cup, the Premier League, and the Community Shield. He was perhaps also the most crucial player for the Blues. The 2005 ceremony was only the second after the 1957 ceremony to feature two Englishmen in the top three. It is also the last year where any English footballer has finished in a podium spot for the award.
