Steven Gerrard Skipped Ballon d'Or | Thierry Henry Called It a Disgrace
Harry Kane is the first English Ballon d'Or winner since Michael Owen in 2001, after beating the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal to the 2026 award.
The Bayern Munich and England forward netted 73 goals in the 2025-26 season, the second-most in a single season since 2000. The 33-year-old has now been officially crowned the best player in world football, something that a British player hasn't achieved in 25 years.
However, another Three Lions hero felt he had a case to win the biggest individual award on offer. And when he found out he wouldn't be winning, he decided not to attend the ceremony.
Steven Gerrard: I Refused to Attend the Ballon d'Or
REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci
Steven Gerrard enjoyed one of the best years of his career at Liverpool in 2005. The English midfielder led his boyhood club to the UEFA Champions League final and helped drag them over the line in an iconic comeback vs AC Milan.
Lifting the biggest club trophy in football remains the biggest accomplishment of his long and storied career. Gerrard was key for the English giants, scoring vital goals throughout the competition, including the first against Milan to set the comeback in motion.
Ballon d'Or Power Rankings
Ballon d'Or Power Rankings
He was all-action in the middle of the park, and even attracted interest from the Reds' biggest rivals. Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho's Chelsea both wanted him.
But it still wasn't enough to win the Ballon d'Or that year. Speaking on a recent episode of The Overlap Daily, Gerrard explained that he found out he was only finishing third and chose not to attend the ceremony.
"No, I was third. I'm not turning up to get third. It's not good enough," he explained. "I got a card mark saying I was still welcome to come but I just pretended I had other plans."
UCL winners 1993-2002
Type a club name to reveal each Champions League winner
The first 10 finals after the European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League, 1993 to 2002
That year, Ronaldinho and Gerrard's England teammate Frank Lampard finished above him in the rankings. Based on his own performances, the midfield icon believes he had a realistic chance of finishing above both, as he said: "I thought I had an outside chance [of winning].
2005 Ballon d'Or Rankings
When asked about his 10th-place finish in 2009, Gerrard was more upbeat after an impressive year for Liverpool. He explained that his individual performances weren't enough to win the award as Liverpool and England fell short of team silverware.
Gerrard said: "I was quite happy with top 10 that year. I was really good consistently in terms of numbers and playing well week-in-week-out for Liverpool. I scored over 20 goals that season.
"When people are selecting or choosing, they go on achievements, individual numbers and how you played consistently. As a team, we didn't really achieve enough. I think you've got to be winning leagues or Champions Leagues, reaching the latter stages of the World Cup."
Thierry Henry Unimpressed By Gerrard's Ballon d'Or Snub
REUTERS/Manon Cruz
One man who agreed with the sentiment that Gerrard was a strong contender in 2005 was Thierry Henry. The Frenchman knows all too well how it feels to miss out on the Ballon d'Or. He was a leading contender in 2003, but was beaten by Pavel Nedved.
CBS Sports Pundit Thierry Henry.
CBS Sports Pundit Thierry Henry.
When discussing Gerrard's career, Henry went as far as calling it a 'disgrace' that he never won the award. In quotes shared by the Premier League's website upon Gerrard's Hall of Fame induction, Henry said: