Since Blackpool's Stanley Matthews won the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1956, only five British
players have been given the prestigious prize. The last was Michael Owen in 2001.

British players have been praised in the past, with not less than 21 players in top three over the years, before the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or merged and kept the French name in 2010. Since then,  no British player or any foreign Premier League player have been able to make it into the crucial top.

Given the Premier League is valued as one of the best in the world it is incredible that the players are unable to make it when it comes to Ballon d'Or. It is not like there aren't any players with the potential: Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Luis Suarez, Frank Lampard, Robin van Persie etc. However, it seems that one of the criteria for competing for the award is to be able to score goals. A lot of goals.

The last three years Lionel Messi have won the award twice and Ronaldo once. The other positions have been shared between Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta. The last three years, all the players, have been from the Spanish La Liga - Surprise! This year Franck Ribéry is mingling among Ronaldo and Messi to become the world's best footballer. However, chances are that it will be the small Argentinian or the Metrosexual Portuguese that will run with the title.

The difference between the English Premier League and the Spanish La Liga is easy to see. While English football is more tactical (it is beginning to be more attacking), Spanish football is almost all attack - More or less. While the Premier League is more competitive between a number of clubs, the Spanish is almost always a battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Funny enough, their two star players are fighting for the Ballon d'Or, as well. Now, with Ribéry in play does that mean that the German league is better than the English?

Well, Bayern Munich and Dortmund were the Champions League finalist last season and many football fans are starting to see the 1. Bundesliga as better than the English Premier League. So in some way, the German league is better than the English. That said, the money in the PL and the prestige is higher than the German, and I think all small boys dream of playing in England. However, it seems as if a player dreams of winning Ballon d'Or he should join every other league than the PL.