Harry Kane ranked third among England’s Ballon d’Or winners

Harry Kane has been ranked third among England’s five Ballon d’Or winners, behind Kevin Keegan and Bobby Charlton, in a BBC Sport assessment of the players’ award-winning careers.

Kane won the 2026 prize after scoring 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich across all competitions during the assessment period, and 12 for England. The BBC says six of his international goals came as England reached the World Cup semi-finals.

Keegan tops the ranking, having won the award in 1978 and 1979. Charlton is second, recognised for his role in England’s 1966 World Cup triumph. Stanley Matthews, the first winner in 1956, is fourth, while Michael Owen, who won in 2001, is fifth.

The BBC’s ranking weighs the players’ achievements and influence in their respective seasons. It notes that Kane’s goals came for a dominant Bayern side, but argues that his passing and hold-up play have made him more than a conventional centre-forward.

The award’s eligibility has changed over time: it was limited to European players until 1995 and did not open to players at clubs worldwide until 2007. The BBC says that context complicates comparisons between earlier winners and modern recipients.

Kane is England’s record goalscorer and recently equalled Peter Shilton’s national appearance record with his 125th cap, as reported by BBC Sport.