Ikhtisar NIF HG

Harry Kane has officially ended England's long wait for a Ballon d'Or winner, but the full voting breakdown reveals just how close the Bayern Munich striker came to missing out. The former Tottenham talisman secured the prestigious Golden Ball in London, edging out his nearest rival, Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe, in a nail-biting finish.

Michael Owen has opened up about the lack of recognition he received for his historic Ballon d'Or triumph, suggesting his achievement was never fully appreciated in England. The former Liverpool striker remained the last Englishman to win the prestigious award for nearly a quarter of a century until Harry Kane ended the long wait this week.

Mark Bellingham follows his sons Jude and Jobe into the national team shirt: according to the English veterans’ association, the 50-year-old is in the over-50 squad for the match against Ireland.

Mark Bellingham, the father of England internationals Jude and Jobe, has earned his own international call-up to represent the England Veterans Over-50s side against the Republic of Ireland. The former non-league striker turned 50 back in March and has been named in an 18-man squad for this weekend's fixture in Cambridgeshire.