At 33, Harry Kane is now among the most senior players ever to be crowned Ballon d'Or winner, having claimed the men's award for 2026. The striker, who plays for England and Bayern Munich, received the trophy at a ceremony held in London on Monday, October 26. Michael Owen in 2001 was the last Englishman to lift it. Read on for our list of the most senior footballers to have taken the Ballon d'Or.
Although Sir Stanley Matthews is still the most senior footballer ever to collect the Ballon d'Or, Kane has now become one of those who lifted the coveted individual trophy after turning 30.
Kane now sits among a select few players whose standout form brought the prize long after their 20s had passed. Matthews's mark, set when the award was first handed out in 1956, has still not been beaten.
How the Ballon d'Or rewards experience
France Football, the French magazine, created the Ballon d'Or to honour the finest footballer across a set period. Younger stars have often taken the trophy, yet a number of players have shown that experience and steady consistency can also bring individual glory.
Here are the five most senior men to have taken the Ballon d'Or, in order:
- Stanley Matthews, aged 41 (1956)
- Lionel Messi, aged 36 (2023)
- Lev Yashin, aged 34 (1963)
- Karim Benzema, aged 34 (2022)
- Harry Kane, aged 33 (2026)
1. Stanley Matthews, knighted – aged 41 (1956)
No footballer has ever collected the Ballon d'Or at a greater age than Sir Stanley Matthews, who was 41 years, 321 days old when he was handed the first-ever trophy on December 18, 1956.
The English winger was turning out for Blackpool back then. He saw off two rivals, Alfredo Di Stéfano of Real Madrid and France's Raymond Kopa, to be the inaugural recipient of what was then called the European Footballer of the Year.
His win followed a 1955–56 campaign in which Blackpool ended as runners-up in England's First Division. Matthews' brilliant dribbling, inventiveness and knack for unsettling defenders had turned him into one of the most admired players of his era.
Staying power was another hallmark of his career. He kept playing as a professional until the age of 50, which only strengthened his status as one of the game's most durable figures.
Almost seventy years later, his record still stands, and no one has topped it. Of all the veteran winners of the award, he remains in a league of his own.
2. Lionel Messi, aged 36 (2023)
Lionel Messi was 36 when he lifted the Ballon d'Or for an eighth time, extending his own record, in October 2023. That places him second on the list of the oldest winners.
The Argentine skipper was honoured for the key part he played in Argentina's victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, a competition in which he netted seven times and was voted the best player.
Before departing the French side for Inter Miami of Major League Soccer, Messi had also helped Paris Saint-Germain win the Ligue 1 championship.
With this latest award, he stretched his lead as the men's footballer with the highest number of Ballon d'Or victories, widening the gap on Cristiano Ronaldo, who has taken the prize five times.
Messi's success showed that outstanding individual displays at major global competitions can still make the difference, even for a player well into the later years of his career.
3. Lev Yashin – aged 34 (1963)
In 1963, aged 34, Lev Yashin took the Ballon d'Or, the first time a goalkeeper had been given the famous trophy.
Capped by the Soviet Union, Yashin never played senior club football anywhere but Dynamo Moscow. He drew wide praise for his sharp reflexes, his authority inside the box and his knack for directing the players in front of him.
The win carried extra weight because the prize has traditionally gone to attackers, most often forwards and midfielders.
No other goalkeeper has taken the Ballon d'Or for men since, so his triumph still stands as a milestone in the history of the game.
By winning, Yashin showed that a goalkeeper could stand alongside the finest outfield players in the contest for football's most celebrated individual honour.
4. Karim Benzema, aged 34 (2022)
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema collected the 2022 Ballon d'Or aged 34, capping what was among the best campaigns of his career.
The French forward was central to Madrid's Champions League success in 2021–22, netting 15 times in the tournament.
Among his key strikes were goals past Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City, as Real Madrid reached the final and beat Liverpool to take the trophy.
Benzema also played a part in Madrid's Spanish La Liga success, finishing the campaign as the leading goalscorer in that competition.
The Ballon d'Or rewarded many years of consistent form, during which he had often been alongside other forwards of star quality such as Cristiano Ronaldo, sharing the limelight.
With that win, he is the oldest person to collect it since Matthews, who was the first person ever to receive the award.
5. Harry Kane, one of the most senior Ballon d'Or recipients
Harry Kane, aged 33, secured a place in Ballon d'Or history by taking the 2026 men's prize.
The Bayern Munich forward earned the honour after a superb 2025–26 season, netting 73 times in 65 appearances for club and country.
His displays helped Bayern keep hold of the Bundesliga crown and pick up further domestic trophies, and his steady scoring added weight to his claim on the individual accolade.
In the final count he beat Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to the prize, and he became the first Englishman since Owen in 2001 to claim the Ballon d'Or in the men's category.
For Kane the triumph was also a significant personal landmark: he had long worked to establish himself as one of Europe's most prolific marksmen before at last landing one of the game's most coveted individual awards.
Kane falls far short of Matthews' record as the award's most senior recipient, yet his triumph proved that players can remain at the summit of the game deep into their 30s. He now has a place in the history of the most senior Ballon d'Or recipients.
