This study presents the utilization of a binary catalyst composed of metal-loaded modified SBA-15 (M/SBA-15) and phosphotungstic acid (H₃PW₁₂O₄₀) for ethylene glycol (EG) production from direct catalytic conversion of cellulose. M/SBA-15 (M = Ru, Au, Pd, Pt, Rh and Ni) catalysts were prepared using the impregnation method and characterized by means of XRD, N₂ physisorption, TEM and H₂-temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR) techniques. Their catalytic performance was then studied in detail on the basis of cellulose conversion and the selectivity of polyols and EG. The results showed that the mesoporous structure of the SBA-15 sample was well maintained after the metal-loaded modification, and almost all of the selected catalysts gave about 100% conversion of cellulose. However, the selectivity for EG was greatly different. Among the various binary catalysts, the combination of Rh/SBA-15 and H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ gave the best selectivity to EG (55.5%), whereas the worst selectivity of EG (11%) was obtained over the Au/SBA-15 and H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ system under identical conditions. In addition to phosphotungstic acid, other W compounds were also studied in combination with the Ru/SBA-15 catalyst. The results showed that the EG selectivity depended on the W compounds as follows: H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀ < H₂WO₄ < H₃PW₁₂O₄₀. Therefore, the binary catalyst of Rh/SBA-15 and H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ showed the greatest potential for EG production from direct catalytic conversion of cellulose.