Only four Brits can lay claim to winning the Ballon d'Or during their careers, which is the most prestigious individual award a football player can win. Legendary English outside right Stanley Matthews got the ball rolling when he was named the inaugural Ballon d'Or winner in 1956.
Kevin Keegan is the only British player to have won the award twice, achieving this feat while playing in Germany with Hamburg in 1978 and 1979. The last Ballon d'Or winner from Great Britain was England legend Michael Owen, who picked up the award in 2001 at the height of his career.
That shows just how difficult it is to compete for the Golden Ball, although many Brits have come close, standing proudly on the three-man podium but not in first place. It doesn't help that none of the international teams have won a major trophy since England's 1966 heroics.
With that said, GIVEMESPORT have ranked the best British footballers never to win a Ballon d'Or. This includes players from England, Scotland, and Wales, with a greater emphasis on those who have retired from the game.
Ranking Factors:
Ability - How talented said player was.
Legacy - What they achieved.
Ballon d'Or history - Have they been nominated or finished in the top three.
Individual accomplishments - Goalscoring records, appearance feats or unique statistics.
15 Harry Kane (England)
Harry Kane
Harry Kane
The only player who makes this list that is still playing today is Harry Kane, a marvellous goalscorer who has developed into an all-round centre-forward. Tottenham Hotspur's all-time top scorer (280) starred for the North Londoners before finally getting a much-deserved trophy to his name by winning the Bundesliga in 2025.
Kane, whose best Ballon d'Or finish is 10th, has also been heroic for England, captaining the Three Lions to the final of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 while also firing them to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. He won the Golden Boot at that tournament (6) and also claimed the European Golden Boot in 2024 (34).
14 Gordon Banks (England)
Gordon Banks in action for England
Gordon Banks
Goalkeepers have a difficult time trying to win the Ballon d'Or, but Gordon Banks would certainly have been a consistent winner if they were solely handed out to shot-stoppers. He was crucial for England in their 1966 World Cup triumph and also won FIFA's Goalkeeper of the Year award six times during his illustrious career.
Banks was a sensational talent between the sticks, producing stunning saves, including the 'Save of the Century' to keep Pee at bay at the 1970 World Cup. He is widely accepted as the best goalkeeper in British football history and managed a fifth-place finish in the Ballon d'Or race in 1966.
13 John Charles (Wales)
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Some Brits struggle abroad when a foreign club comes calling, but that wasn't the case for John Charles, who excelled in Italy with Juventus as a member of 'The Holy Trident' attacking trio. He was nicknamed 'the Gentle Giant' because of his professionalism while playing fairly with his six-foot-two-inch frame.
Charles was unbelievably multifaceted, able to play as a formidable forward and a colossal centre-back, making him a threat going forward and holding the fort. One of Wales' all-time greats, he bagged 93 goals at Juve while getting his hands on three Serie A titles, and finishing in third place in the 1958 Ballon d'Or race.
12 Paul Scholes (England)
Paul Scholes named best Champions League players he faced
Paul Scholes named best Champions League players he faced
Ballon d'Or royalty Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane are just three of the many footballing icons who have spoken of their admiration for Paul Scholes. The Manchester United hero was a remarkably talented midfielder who dominated play during Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at Old Trafford.
Scholes' passing range and incredible footballing IQ made him a favourite, certainly amongst Barcelona players, as he often displayed a Catalan-esque playmaking style. He claimed 11 Premier League titles and was part of the Red Devils' 1999 treble-winning team, although surprisingly, his best Ballon d'Or finish was 17th in 2001.
11 Gary Lineker (England)
Gary Lineker
Another British player who flourished abroad was Gary Lineker, who became a Barcelona legend with his consistency in front of goal, scoring throughout his career. He claimed the 1986 World Cup Golden Boot (6) and was a menace up top in England with Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham.
Lineker earned constant praise for his clinical finishing, but many forget just how clever he was when timing runs and finding space on the break. He came fourth in the 1986 Ballon d'Or battle, which reflected just how celebrated the iconic number nine was on a global scale.
10 Gareth Bale (Wales)
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Now and again, a player explodes onto the scene and takes the Premier League by storm, which is exactly what Gareth Bale did at Tottenham. The Welsh winger moved from left-back to left-winger and conjured up some of the best displays fans have witnessed in the modern era of English football.
Bale was unstoppable on his day, able to use his blistering pace to leave his opponents gasping for air, such as Marc Barta. A fourth-placed Ballon d'Or finish preceded his evolution into the perfect fit for Real Madrid, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, which led to significant trophy success, including four Champions League titles.
9 Ian Rush (Wales)
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Perhaps no striker in Britain was more feared during the 1980s than Ian Rush, who intimidated defenders with his goal-scoring abilities. Whether it was with either foot or his head, every game in front of the Kop at Anfield came with an expectation that the Welsh striker would find the back of the net.
Rush was also a big-game player, which included man-of-the-match showings in wins over Real Madrid and AS Roma, the latter of whom he scored against in the 1984 European Cup final. He is one of the most important players in Liverpool's history, and his heroics during the eighties saw him achieve a best Ballon d'Or finish of fourth.
8 Paul Gascoigne (England)
Paul Gascoigne celebrates for England
Paul Gascoigne celebrates for England
If you were handing the Ballon d'Or out as an Oscar for entertaining football fans, then you'd probably be reading Paul Gascoigne's name. The iconic English midfielder was box office, a natural at playmaking with dribbling that captivated supporters and got them off their feet.
Gascoigne's career includes a highlight reel of famous British football moments, including his star role and tears in Turin. The Tottenham hero remains one of England's most acclaimed footballers and managed a sixth-place Ballon d'Or finish in 1990, while also claiming the Scottish Division title while at Rangers.
7 Frank Lampard (England)
Frank Lampard Chelsea
There hasn't been a better goalscoring midfielder in England, perhaps not even in the world, than Frank Lampard. He sits seventh in the Premier League's all-time goalscoring ranks (177), which tells you all you need to know regarding his knack for getting his name on the scoresheet.
Lampard, who came seventh at the 2005 Ballon d'Or ceremony, was more than just a goalscorer, though, as he also possessed brilliant passing, vision and energy, willing to help out defence if required. He was crucial for Chelsea in the first of his three title wins before leading the Blues to their first Champions League in 2012.
6 Steven Gerrard (England)
Steven Gerrard celebrates
One of football's most frustrating puzzles is how England failed to get a Frank Lampard-Steven Gerrard midfield partnership to work. Deciding which of the pair was better is a debate for another day, but Liverpool's iconic Champions League-winning skipper did manage a third-place podium finish in the Ballon d'Or that year.
The late great Pele once saidthat Gerrard was the best player over a five-year period, an era dominated by the likes of Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho. That's testament to just how remarkably gifted he was, a jack of all trades who does shade Lampard if you desire a well-rounded midfield profile, although he unfairly never won the Premier League title.