As every year, the Ballon d'Or is a subject of debate, and the 2026 edition is no exception. According to the former Gunners midfielder, Bayern Munich's star striker did not deserve to be crowned.

After a long and suspenseful evening, Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or, ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal. According to France Football editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia, the Bayern Munich striker pipped the French national team captain at the post, noting that the points difference between the two players was closer than the 41 points that separated Rodri and Vinicius Junior in 2024. This added even more drama to an event that was already highly emotional for the main contenders. And as every year, the winner's identity and/or the final ranking sparked debate. While Ousmane Dembélé's victory in 2025 was uncontested, Kane's win generated considerable discussion. Tonight, Samir Nasri also felt that the Englishman should not be chosen for having "only" won the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the German Super Cup last season.

“I don’t agree at all. What are we basing this on? Just the goals scored? He’s not the best player in the Bundesliga. The best is Olise. He wasn’t even the best player on the England team during the World Cup. So, what are we basing this on? Because he scored goals? Because he drops deep? He’s more than just a number 9, he’s the modern striker. I have enormous respect for Harry Kane, but has he had a memorable campaign in his career? The most important match of his club season, the Champions League semi-final (against PSG), he was knocked out. He played a great match in the first leg, yes. In the Ballon d’Or criteria, he’s not first. (…) I didn’t know that winning the Bundesliga and the German Cup was enough,” he declared on the YouTube show Les Affranchis.

Kane doesn't deserve it, according to Nasri

The former Olympique de Marseille player even asserts that he wouldn't have given it to Kylian Mbappé either, who finished second in the final rankings. "For me, it's neither Kane nor Mbappé. Mbappé shouldn't be second. He wins a championship where he's the only one playing. It's as if Ferran Torres, this season at PSG, scored 50 goals, they won the French league title, they won the Coupe de France, and in the end, he won the Ballon d'Or. I wouldn't give it to Kane, I'd give it to Lamine Yamal," he added, before reflecting on the disappointment Mbappé must have felt after this latest failure, despite achieving his best Ballon d'Or nomination ranking since his debut.

“Of the three finalists, he sees that it’s not Lamine Yamal (who wins), he thinks they gave it to him because he won the World Cup. Then he sees that it’s Kane, he thinks: ‘They’ll never give it to me. They gave it to him, they didn’t give it to me.’ He must be thinking: ‘I did everything. I went to RFI, I talked about the African continent. I went there, I talked about that… Even that, they didn’t give it to me.’” The 2026 Ballon d’Or will undoubtedly continue to generate a lot of discussion, but nothing will change the fact: Harry Kane has indeed hit the jackpot.