Former Arsenal player speaks out about Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or win, pointing out a ‘weakness’
Former Arsenal and Manchester City star Samir Nasri shared his thoughts on why Harry Kane might not have fully deserved the Ballon d’Or this time. On Monday night, England’s captain Kane was crowned the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner at the London Palladium. The 33-year-old beat Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to win this big award. But Nasri feels Kane didn’t do quite enough to earn it.
Before the ceremony, it was tough to choose between Kane, Mbappe, and Yamal, with fans everywhere having strong opinions about all three. Kane’s amazing 73 goals last season for club and country, plus winning two big trophies with Bayern Munich, helped him become the first English player in 25 years to claim the prize.
However, Nasri, who played for Man City and Arsenal, thinks Kane hasn’t always shined in the most important games. “Harry Kane, Ballon d’Or… OK, the stats helped,” Nasri said on Canal+. “He’s a great player with many skills. But he’s never really been the one to lead his team to win in big matches. There’s often something missing. Still, he’s an amazing player.”
When asked if he was excited about Kane’s win, Nasri said, “No, that’s putting it lightly!”
Some people have said Kane doesn’t perform well in big games, but during the 2025-26 season – the one that got him the Ballon d’Or – he actually did a lot. In the German Cup final against Stuttgart, Kane scored all three goals to help Bayern win 3-0. He also scored important goals in the Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals and helped England come back from behind in a World Cup match against DR Congo.
That said, he didn’t score in the quarter-finals versus Norway or in England’s semi-final loss to Argentina.
Despite Nasri’s thoughts, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry had only praise for Kane after the award. Speaking at the ceremony, Henry said, “I always support my fellow Frenchmen, but I have to say something about Harry Kane. I’ve watched him from the start. He worked very hard to get where he is. He’s a worthy winner. Well done.”
So, while opinions differ, Kane’s hard work and amazing season were clearly noticed by many.