Former Man City and Arsenal Star Takes Dig at Harry Kane After 2026 Ballon d’Or Win

• Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or on Monday night in London, becoming the first Englishman in 25 years to claim the prestigious award
• Former Man City and Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri said Kane's statistics drove his win but questioned his impact in the biggest matches
• Kane scored 73 goals in 65 games for Bayern Munich and England last season, yet both sides fell at the semi-final stage

Harry Kane was crowned the world's best footballer at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on Monday, but not everyone was convinced the Bayern Munich striker deserved the honour.

The England captain, who has never hidden his ambition to win the game's most prestigious individual prize, edged out Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to claim the award.

It was a historic night, with Kane becoming the first Englishman to lift the Ballon d'Or in 25 years, GOAL reports.

Kane's record-breaking season

The numbers backing Kane's victory are difficult to argue with.

The Englishman scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich last season, the highest single-season tally in the club's history.

Adding his contributions with England, Kane finished the campaign with 73 goals and eight assists in 65 matches across all competitions.

On the back of that output, Bayern secured a domestic double, while Kane led England to the semi-finals of the World Cup.

The scale of his individual production set him apart from every other player on the planet last season.

Nasri's blunt verdict on Kane

According to the Daily Mirror, former France international Samir Nasri, who played for both Manchester City and Arsenal during his Premier League career, offered a sharply different take during a segment on Canal+.

"Harry Kane, Ballon d'Or... OK, the statistics made the difference," Nasri said.

"He's a fantastic player with so many qualities. But he's never been the player who carried his team somewhere or made his team win in the very big matches. There's often a slight weakness. But he's an extraordinary player."

When pressed on whether Kane's triumph left him cold, Nasri was blunt:

"No, that's an understatement!"

Nasri's argument against Kane's Ballon d'Or win

The criticism Nasri raised is one that has followed Kane for much of his career.

Despite his extraordinary goal-scoring record, his teams have consistently fallen short in the most high-profile knockout rounds.

Last season, Bayern were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals, while England suffered a similar fate at the World Cup, losing at the same stage to Argentina.

Nasrii clearly believes that true greatness requires something more than statistics alone, a point that is likely to fuel debate among football fans for some time yet.

Kane breaks silence after winning Ballon d'Or

Legit.ng previously reported about Kane’s 2026 Ballon d’Or win, including how he beat Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to claim football’s top individual prize.

The England captain celebrated with a short message that drew millions of impressions. But while the award brings no direct prize money, it can open the door to other financial gains.