Ballon d’Or: Harry Kane Faces Criticism: “Does He Really Deserve It?”

Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, the culmination of an extraordinary season in which he scored a total of 73 goals across all competitions. The English striker beat out Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, who joined him on the podium but left the ceremony in London visibly disappointed.

Kane’s triumph was celebrated by the newspapers, while fans and experts are divided over the awarding of the prestigious honor. Among those opposed is former Manchester City player Samir Nasri, who harshly criticized the jury’s decision on Canal +.

“Harry Kane, Ballon d’Or… Okay, the stats made the difference. He’s a fantastic player with so many qualities. But he’s never been the kind of player who carries his team,” Nasri explained. “He hasn’t led them to victory in the truly important games. He’s an extraordinary player, but he’s often shown slight weaknesses.”

A heated debate has already erupted on social media, with many fans questioning his overall value compared to the raw talent of Mbappé and Lamine Yamal—echoing the controversy from two years ago, when Rodri surprisingly edged out Vinicius Jr. According to others, the Englishman failed to make a difference in the season’s most important matches, both in the Champions League and at the World Cup. Many, however, defend him for his extraordinary goal-scoring ability and his role as an attacking playmaker, which allowed Bayern to break record after record in the Bundesliga and England to reach third place at the World Cup.