All seven Premier League stars who have won the Ballon d’Or including Cristiano Ronaldo and Rodri

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Since its inception in the 1950s, the Ballon d’Or has grown in stature to become one of the most prestigious individual awards a player can win.

Each year, stars across the globe battle it out to be declared the best in the world, at least for that past year.

For much of the late 2000s and early 2010s, there was pure dominance from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as the two players were above the rest in the world.

Since then, the competition has been wide open for many different stars to stake a claim to be the best.

The Premier League has been the home to some of these aces over the years, with the Ballon d’Or making its way to England on seven occasions.

So, with that said, here’s a look at every winner of the Ballon d’Or in Premier League history.

1956 – Stanley Matthews (Blackpool)

1956 was the inaugural year of the Ballon d’Or award, which at the time was an award for crowning European talent rather than worldwide stars.

The first champion came from England and was Blackpool’s Stanley Matthews.

The star, who played as an “outside right”, was a key player in the First Division and is often regarded as one of the greatest British players of all time.

Perhaps his most memorable feat was the 1953 FA Cup final, which became dubbed as the “Stanley Matthews final”, as he helped inspire Blackpool to turn around a 3-1 deficit against Bolton Wanderers to win 4-3.

Matthews was given a knighthood whilst still playing football, underlining just how good he was, while he won plenty of individual accolades.

Adding the first Ballon d’Or to his list of honours highlights just how important he was to the formative years of the English top flight.

1964 – Denis Law (Manchester United)

It took another eight years for a star from the English leagues to pick up the Ballon d’Or, with Denis Law winning it in 1964.

He is the only Scottish player to have won the award, doing so during his spell with Manchester United.

Law scored 46 goals in the campaign, a club record still held at United to this day, while he played a key role in the side that dominated English football.

For that reason, he wasn’t the only star to win the Ballon d’Or during that time.

1966 – Bobby Charlton (Manchester United)

1966 is a memorable year for English football, as the Three Lions won the World Cup, and at the heart of it was Bobby Charlton.

A versatile star who could play as a forward or in midfield, he was a stalwart for Manchester United, making over 600 appearances for the club.

Charlton was the top goalscorer for the Red Devils until Wayne Rooney beat that record in 2017.

The English international won plenty of awards, with the Ballon d’Or being just one of them in 1966, while he was runner-up in both 1967 and 1968.

1968 – George Best (Manchester United)

Pipping Charlton to a second Ballon d’Or in 1968 was his Manchester United teammate, George Best.

The Northern Irish international was well known for his skilful dribbling, matching up well in a trio alongside Charlton and Law.

Best had 11 years at Manchester United, winning five major honours and plenty of individual accolades.

He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame and will be remembered as one of the very best in his generation.

2001 – Michael Owen (Liverpool)

There were over thirty years between Ballon d’Or winners playing in England, with plenty changing in the football landscape since then.

Most notably, the Premier League had been formed, overtaking the old English First Division.

Lighting it up at an early age in the division was Michael Owen, who was nothing short of a sensation for Liverpool.

The striker had electric pace and an eye for goal, making him feared by defenders around the world.

Owen helped Liverpool win the treble in 2000/01, winning the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup in a memorable season.

That all led to him winning the Ballon d’Or, and he is the last English player to have done so.

2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

There was another seven-year wait for a Ballon d’Or winner in the Premier League, but it was a big one.

Cristiano Ronaldo landed the award in 2008, as the first of five in his career.

The Manchester United forward was starting to hit another level, scoring 31 goals in the Premier League over 2007/08.

Securing a league title and a Champions League triumph was useful for the Red Devils, but there were plenty of individual accolades.

A Premier League Golden Boot, a European Golden Shoe and more came pouring in for Ronaldo’s outstanding campaign.

It was the start of something special for a player who went on to be one of the greatest in the game.

2024 – Rodri (Manchester City)

With Ronaldo and Lionel Messi battling it out for the Ballon d’Or year after year, La Liga dominated the award.

It meant the Premier League had to wait until 2024 for the next recipient, which was Manchester City star Rodri.

While Vinicius Jr was tipped to win it, the Spanish midfielder came out on top for his Premier League triumph and his work for his national team over Euro 2024.

Rodri was crucial to Pep Guardiola and his Man City team, with his absence being felt shortly after, through injury.