With a number of players who may be considered in the world-class bracket, England is currently among the top footballing nations in the world. The Tottenham star believes one of his international teammates has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or, and James Maddison wholeheartedly concurs.
Since Michael Owen won the world’s largest individual award in 2001, no Englishman has been able to hold the trophy. Despite their best efforts, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard were unable to break that duck because of the unimaginable caliber of world football in their prime.
The only English-born athletes to win the coveted accolade before Owen in the early 2000s were Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, and Kevin Keegan. This demonstrates how challenging it has been to gain notice on the largest platform. However, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s aging has given today’s players a chance to step up and become the top football players.
All British Winners of the Ballon d’Or
The player
The country
Famous Clubs
Winning the Ballon d’Or
Matthews, Stanley
England
Blackpool, Toronto City, and Stoke City (loan)
1956
Law, Denis
Scotland
Manchester United, Torino, Manchester City, and Huddersfield Town
1964
Charlton, Sir Bobby
England
Preston and Manchester United
1966
George Best
Ireland’s northern region
Hibernian, Fulham, and Manchester United
1968
Keegan, Kevin
England
Newcastle, Southampton, Hamburger SV, and Liverpool
1978 and 1979
Michael Owen
England
Newcastle, Manchester United, Stoke City, Liverpool, and Real Madrid
2001
James Maddison on England’s Ballon d’Or Prospects
He was quick to point out one player who could win the award
Maddison hardly paused when asked if he thought any of his England teammates could win the Ballon d’Or in the future. In response, the 28-year-old said:
“Mr. Bellingham. Jude. He has what it takes to have one of those golden balls at home, in my opinion.
Given that Harry Kane of Bayern Munich and Bukayo Saka of Arsenal are among the other players vying for the title of finest player in the nation, Maddison’s selection of Bellingham is not surprising. The midfielder, who was born in Birmingham, has been getting better ever since he joined Real Madrid in 2023.
Bellingham hasn’t been scoring as many goals as he did the previous season since he had to change his style of play when Kylian Mbappe joined the Santiago Bernabeu. The 21-year-old has begun to show his worth again after a sluggish start to the 2024–25 season.
Maddison is the ‘Biggest Fan’ of Jude Bellingham.
‘Throwback’ is how he describes the Real Madrid hero.
Maddison has consistently stood for his countryman and has referred to himself as Bellingham’s “biggest fan.” The Spurs ace went poetic over the former Borussia Dortmund player in a 2024 interview with Ben Foster:
“I believe I’m his biggest admirer. He simply adores football, and I adore the way he plays the game. We have a great relationship and are close friends.
“What I adore most about him is that, rather than genuinely enjoying football, today’s players seek to be cool and are more concerned with their appearance and social media presence. With his youthfulness, he’s a throwback like that.
Having placed on the 2024 podium, just behind Rodri and Real Madrid colleague Vinicius Jr., Bellingham has already been very close to winning the individual title. He might be one of the favorites to win the upcoming Ballon d’Or if Los Blancos manage to overcome the odds and win another Champions League title while defending La Liga.
