Former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has publicly criticized Harry Kane’s 2026 Ballon d’Or triumph. The French analyst argued that despite Kane’s prolific goalscoring form, statistical output alone fails to paint an accurate picture of the Bayern Munich striker’s actual contribution during decisive fixtures. According to the Frenchman, who spent three seasons at Arsenal before moving to Manchester City,, Kane’s influence in big games does not match his output. Nasri, though, is not convinced that statistics alone should settle the game’s biggest individual prize.
Kane accepted the award at the London Palladium during a ceremony marking the 70th edition of the honor, which also paid tribute to inaugural 1956 winner Stanley Matthews. In addition to taking the top prize ahead of runners-up Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, Kane collected the Striker of the Year trophy. His victory makes him the first Englishman to claim the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, joining a select group of English winners that includes Matthews, Bobby Charlton, and Kevin Keegan. He is also the first Bayern Munich player to win since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
Speaking on Canal+, Nasri expressed skepticism over the verdict, stating that Kane has “never been the player who carried his team somewhere” when games truly mattered. France Football editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia acknowledged that the vote was exceptionally close, noting that the margin between Kane and second-place Mbappé was even narrower than the tight finish between Rodri and Vinicius Junior in 2024. According to speaking on the show, Guti, (translated from Spanish).
The criticism comes despite a record-breaking individual campaign for the England captain. Kane netted 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich—setting a new single-season scoring record for the German giants—and tallied 73 goals in 65 games across all competitions for club and country while securing both the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal.
Nasri is not the only high-profile figure to challenge the outcome. Real Madrid icon Guti also voiced disapproval during an appearance on El Chiringuito, questioning the optics of the London-born forward receiving the honor during a gala held in London.
