Will 25-year wait be repeated if Harry Kane ends England’s Ballon d’Or drought? Golden Ball winner Michael Owen waiting on fifth member of exclusive club

Several superstars from England have gone close to savouring Golden Ball glory down the years, with Billy Wright, Duncan Edwards, Johnny Haynes, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Moore, Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jude Bellingham all finishing inside the top three without ever getting their hands on the ultimate prize.

All-time greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo created a stunning duopoly over a 15-year period, claiming 13 victories between them - with the Argentine GOAT rewriting the history books as he savoured eight triumphs.

That crown is now up for grabs once more, with Rodri and Ousmane Dembele helping to usher in a new era across the last two Ballon d’Or polls. They are both in contention once more, having lifted World Cup and Champions League trophies in 2026, but another first time winner is expected to emerge.

Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Michael Olise and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are all in that hunt, but it is Kane that sits as favourite to be named ‘best player on the planet’. That is because he hit 61 goals for Bayern last season, alongside 12 efforts for England, and became a two-time Bundesliga title winner.

After a quarter-of-a-century, an Englishman may soon be back on top of the global game. Owen - the last man to scale those heights and one that now serves as Casino.org's ambassador, helping British players compare the best online casinos selected for UK players - told GOAL when it was put to him that it surely will not take as long for another Three Lions star to become Ballon d’Or-worthy: “I would say not. You'd hope not.

“There's only four of us that have won it in its history. What is the history? 75 years or something? So, we're talking every 20 years, just under 20 years is the average anyway. So, we're pushing that average at the moment, because it's 25 years since I won it.

“Obviously, Harry's got a good shot at it. I do think it's quite an open year, but I do think Harry Kane's got a great chance of winning it. It'd be a fabulous achievement if he did.”

Alongside Owen, the other English winners are Stanley Matthews - who won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956 - World Cup winner Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan - who went back-to-back on the Golden Ball front in 1978 and 1979.

Kane has told TNT Sports of adding his name to that illustrious roll of honour: “Not that long ago, I was that fan wanting to become a professional footballer, and I am here now and winning awards and the Ballon d'Or is the same.

“Of course, now it is out of my hands, it is down to the voters and the people who decide it. The season I had was my best season by far, and we'll have to wait and see. It is a weird one because I am already focused on this season now, and the next season. Can I be better? Can I improve? But I also want to appreciate what I did.

“The thing with football opinions - there are so many opinions, so many arguments for different players, and people love this player because 'he's fast' and 'he's got great IQ' and 'his finishing is great'. So I think that is what makes football special, all those debates, and the Ballon d'Or is definitely one of them. I'm happy that I am in contention, so we will have to wait and see.”

Even Kane admits to being surprised that he has posted the kind of “silly” numbers that were once only achievable by a couple of GOATs. His 73-goal haul for club and country is better than any tally Ronaldo (with a personal best of 69) has managed over the course of a season, with only Messi on 82 sitting above him.

It remains to be seen whether those exploits will be enough for England’s talismanic captain to secure a Ballon d’Or of his own, with that prestigious trophy set to be handed out at the London Palladium Theatre on October 26.