Ballon d’Or: He never carried his team to win big matches – Nasri on Kane

Former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has questioned Harry Kane’s 2026 Ballon d’Or victory, arguing that the Bayern Munich and England striker has not consistently delivered decisive performances in the biggest matches.

The Frenchman made the comments following Kane’s victory at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday, where he finished ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal.

Speaking to Canal+, Nasri acknowledged that Kane’s impressive statistics and individual quality played a major role in securing the prestigious award.

“The statistics made the difference,” Nasri said while discussing Kane’s Ballon d’Or triumph.

However, the former France international questioned Kane’s ability to single-handedly lead his teams to victory in crucial encounters.

“But he’s never been the player who carried his team somewhere or made his team win in the very big matches,” Nasri added.

Despite his criticism, Nasri described Kane as an “extraordinary player,” recognising the striker’s quality while expressing doubts about his influence in the most important games.

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Kane, 33, scored 73 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich and England last season. He also won three major titles, including the Bundesliga, achievements that contributed to his Ballon d’Or success.