While no British player has won the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, a number of current England stars have been shortlisted for football’s most coveted individual award in 2024.
Despite missing out on continental success at Euro 2024, England enjoyed a successful summer in Germany, beating Switzerland and Holland to face Spain in the all-important final.
The Three Lions failed to win a trophy on the international stage, but that didn’t stop the country’s stars impressive at club level.
Here’s how England players qualified for the Ballon d’Or 2024.
Declan Rice has become an integral part of Arsenal midfield since making the switch to north London from West Ham last summer. The playmaker made 51 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions last season, registering seven goals and 10 assists as they battled to steal the Premier League title from rivals Manchester City.
Arsenal fell short of Premier League glory in 2024, missing out on the chance to clinch the title on the final day as City claimed victory over West Ham. In any case, Rice’s display in Mikel Arteta’s midfield was vital on numerous occasions.
He also got the chance to show his skills on the international stage with England, playing every game in their Euro 2024 campaign. His efforts during the 2023/24 season saw him finish 26th in the classification of this year’s Ballon d’Or.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer finished 25th in the Ballon d’Or standings after an impressive season at Stamford Bridge. The midfielder rose to the top of the game during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring 27 goals in 48 appearances.
While some may think that this position is rather low for a player who constantly makes headlines for his impressive outings, Palmer is just at the beginning of his professional career and will undoubtedly achieve brilliant success in the future .
No player has ever won the Ballon d’Or while playing for Chelseabut Palmer could become the first with his consistent displays of talent.
Another Arsenal and England talent was nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, with Bukayo Saka sitting in 21st place.
Saka has been impressive in north London since his promotion to the Gunners’ first team in 2019, becoming a core part of Arteta’s competitive line-up. The winger made 47 appearances for his club last season, finding the back of the net 20 times.
The Arsenal star was also essential to England’s trip to the finals of Euro 2024, playing all seven games under Southgate as he scored an important goal against Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Phil Foden lifted his fourth successive Premier League title with Manchester City during the 2023/24 campaign. At just 24 years old, that’s pretty impressive.
His efforts saw him crowned PFA Player of the Year for the first time shortly after being awarded the FWA Footballer of the Year. He was also a standout in his club’s European charge, finishing City’s Champions League campaign with five goals and three assists in just eight games, including a goal at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Foden saw slightly less success on the international stage with England, falling at the final hurdle to City team-mate Rodri, who was crowned as the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.
Against Bayern Munich Harry Kane led his country to the Euro 2024 final in the summer after breaking countless records during his debut season in the Bundesliga.
The Three Lions captain picked up an award on the night of the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, winning the Gerd Muller Trophy alongside Kylian Mbappe after scoring 52 goals for his club and country.
The prolific forward finished in the top 10 of the Ballon d’Or rankings, 10 places higher than the 19th he recorded in 2023.
Jude Bellingham finished third in the Ballon d’Or standings, just behind team-mate Vinicius Junior and winner Rodri. The Real Madrid The star did not attend the ceremony in Paris after Madrid became aware that Vinicius would not claim the 2024 award and decided to boycott the proceedings entirely.
However, it continued to be a successful night for the reigning Spanish champions, who picked up the Club of the Year award, as well as silver and bronze medals in the men’s individual award.
Bellingham enjoyed a fine debut season in Spain, scoring 23 goals in 42 club appearances before lifting the Champions League and La Liga trophies.
He has yet to strike silverware on the international stage but looks set to be a key part of England’s future plans.
