They treated me like a hero in Spain! Michael Owen makes bitter admission about his Ballon d'Or triumph
Former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker Michael Owen has made a striking admission about his greatest individual achievement! The 2001 Ballon d'Or winner believes his historic triumph never received the recognition it deserved in England, despite beating some of football's biggest legends to the prestigious award.
Details: Speaking to FourFourTwo, Owen explained that the reaction to his Ballon d'Or victory was completely different in England and Spain. He believes the award has traditionally carried less significance in his homeland, while Spanish football supporters treated him like a hero because of the achievement.
Owen won the 2001 Ballon d'Or at just 21 years old, finishing ahead of Raul, Oliver Kahn and David Beckham. The top ten also included Francesco Totti, Luis Figo, Rivaldo, Andriy Shevchenko, Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane. Looking back at those names, Owen admitted that the scale of his achievement feels even more remarkable today.
His victory followed an extraordinary year with Liverpool. Owen helped the Reds win the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup, scoring twice in the dramatic FA Cup final against Arsenal. He also produced a memorable hat-trick for England against Germany during a famous 5-1 victory.
The former England international explained that he still keeps a photograph of the voting results on his phone. Although winning the award felt like another trophy at the time, he now appreciates its importance much more. The recent Ballon d'Or victory of Harry Kane has brought Owen's achievement back into the spotlight after 25 years.
Reminder: Official: Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
