Samir Nasri

At 37 years old, Samir Nasri has this physical status:

Samir Nasri (born 26 June 1987) is a French professional footballer who currently plays for Belgian club Anderlecht.

He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield.

He was suspended from football for eighteen months until January 2019 following a doping violation. Nasri is known for his dribbling, ball control and passing ability.

He is described as a player whose "vision and imagination make him an unpredictable opponent".

His playing style, ability and cultural background have drawn comparisons to French legend Zinedine Zidane.Nasri began his football career playing for local youth clubs in his hometown Marseille.

At age nine, he joined professional club Olympique de Marseille and spent the next seven years developing in the club's youth academy at La Commanderie, the club's training centre.

In the 2004–05 season, he made his professional debut in September 2004 at age 17 against Sochaux.

In the following season, he became a regular starter in the team and also participated in European competition for the first time after playing in the 2005–06 edition of the UEFA Cup.

In the 2006–07 campaign, Nasri won the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year award and was also named to the Team of the Year.

He finished his career with Marseille amassing over 160 appearances.

He played in the teams that reached back-to-back Coupe de France finals in 2006 and 2007. In June 2008, Nasri joined Premier League club Arsenal on a four-year contract.

He reached prominence with the team in his third season winning the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Fans' Player of the Month award on three occasions and being named to the association's Team of the Year.

In December 2010, he was named the French Player of the Year for his performances during the calendar year.

In August 2011, after three seasons with Arsenal, Nasri joined Manchester City on a four-year contract.

In his first season with the club, he won his first major honour as a player as the club won the 2011–12 Premier League. Nasri is a former France youth international and has represented his nation at every level for which he was eligible.

Prior to playing for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.

Nasri made his senior international debut in March 2007 in a friendly match against Austria.

Two months later, he scored his first senior international goal in a 1–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying win over Georgia.

Nasri has represented France at two major international tournaments: UEFA Euro 2008 and Euro 2012.

Personal life

Nasri was born in Septèmes-les-Vallons, a northern suburb of Marseille, to French nationals of Algerian descent. His mother, Ouassila Ben Saïd, and father, Abdelhafid Nasri, were both born in France; his father being born and raised in Marseille, and his mother being from nearby Salon-de-Provence. Nasri's grandparents emigrated to France from Algeria. His mother is a housewife and his father previously worked as a bus driver before becoming his son's personal manager. At the start of his football career, Nasri initially played under his mother's surname, Ben Saïd, before switching to Nasri, his father's surname, following his selection to the France under-16 team. He is the eldest of four children and is a Muslim. Nasri has a younger sister named Sonia and twin brothers named Walid and Malik. All four were raised in La Gavotte Peyret. After joining Arsenal in England, Nasri settled in Hampstead, a district of North London. His cousin, Kaïs Nasri, is also a professional footballer.

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Club career

Nasri played football on the streets, where he learned a lot of his skills as a youth in La Gavotte Peyret. His parents had signed him up to play with the local team in his hometown after noticing his inborn talent. Nasri spent one year with the club in La Gavotte Peyret before deciding to Pennes Mirabeau in nearby Mirabeau at age 7. Nasri was discovered by Marseille scout Freddy Assolen, who had been kept up on the player's talent by local word of mouth while playing for Pennes. Assolen recruited Nasri's talent in person, bringing a group of young players along with him to Italy to compete in a youth tournament against Milan and Juventus's youth academies. Nasri was highly admired at the tournament, and Assolen was jokingly told by a Milan scout that "he [Nasri] remains here, you leave him here." Marseille officials arranged a meeting with the player's father after returning to France, and the club decided to welcome Nasri into the academy at the age of nine.

Nasri was immediately impressed when he enrolled in Marseille's youth academy. His style of play began to take form when moving to Bastide, where the club's youth players live. Nasri admitted that moving to Bastide enhanced his game, adding, "That's where I really started to grow." "The training was different and the facilities were stunning, which all of which helps you perform effectively." Nasri was a key figure in every youth team, including the Championnat de Provence, Coupe de Provence, and the Ligue de la Méditerranée, as a result of his quick progress. The now 16-year-old Nasri was promoted to the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football, after spending the majority of the 2003-04 season with the club's under-18 team in the latter part of the season. In a few games during the season, he primarily appeared as a back-up plan, resulting in a 16th-place finish and relegation to the Championnat de France amateur 2.

Many clubs had been reported to be interested in signing Nasri, most notably English clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Newcastle United, ahead of the 2004–05 season. Nasri was given a three-year professional contract by Marseille officials led by president Pape Diouf and boss José Anigo in an attempt to reduce the speculative zeal. Nasri signed the deal on August 13, 2004. Marseille officials were keen to sign Nasri to a deal in the hopes of avoiding a situation similar to Mathieu Flamini's departure, in which the player left the club without receiving any money. Nasri was promoted to the senior team by Anigo and given the number 22 shirt as a result of his service. He started the season with the club's reserve team and appeared in four games before receiving a call up to the senior team in September 2004.

Nasri made his professional debut on September 12th in a 2–0 league loss to Sochaux, appearing as a substitute for Bruno Cheyrou. He made his first professional appearance in a 1–1 draw with Saint-Étienne on October 17th. Nasri was instrumental in the team's success under Anigo and then Philippe Troussier. In the team's first match after the winter break, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Lille. Nasri's rookie campaign saw him complete with 25 appearances, one goal, and two assists.

Marseille's 2005-06 season saw the arrival of attackers Franck Ribéry and Djibril Cissé, the former players arriving after a fruitful loan stint with the club the previous season. Nasri, a young manager who had been given a larger presence in the team by new manager Jean Fernandez, and lead striker Mamadou Niang, have developed fruitful working relationships with the two players. He appeared in 49 total matches, including appearances in both the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Nasri made his European debut in the first round of the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup against Swiss club Young Boys on July 16, 2005. Marseille defeated the first leg 3–2. Nasri scored his first European goal in a 2–1 victory in the second leg. After beating Spanish outfit Deportivo de La Corua 5-3 on aggregate, Marseille ultimately won the competition. Nasri was in 30 games in the league, 25 as a starter. In a 4–2 victory over Sochaux on April 29, he scored his first league goal of the season. Nasri played in five matches as Marseille advanced to the final of the French competition where the club met Le Classique rivals Paris Saint-Germain. When Marseille lost 21-0, Nasri starred as a replacement in the match. Nasri has signed a two-year contract extension with the club until 2009.

Nasri's fourth successive boss in three years began in 2006-07, under Albert Emon. Despite this, Marseille's now heightened fame sparked increased rumors among writers and followers that the club will win its first league title since the 1991–92 season. Nasri started the season on a rocky note after scoring the second goal in the team's 3–1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in September 2006. In Marseille's 4–2 defeat of Sochaux on Saturday, Nasri scored a goal. Marseille was supposed to meet the same team in the 2007 Coupe de France Final just days later, and they were subsequently strong favorites as a result of the team's two-goal triumph in the previous match. Following extra time, Sochaux won by a narrow margin over Marseille 5–4 on penalties. Nasri scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Sedan on the final match day of the season. The victory earned Marseille their second place in the team's best finish since finishing runners-up to Bordeaux in the 1998–99 season. Nasri made a career-high 50 appearances in the season, 37 of whom were in the league. He was named to the UNFP Young Player of the Year Award and named to the Team of the Year for his contributions. Supporters also voted for Nasri, the Club Player of the Year, who received 62% of the votes ahead of the likes of Ribéry and Niang.

Nasri's new season under new ownership began in Marseille, following the Belgian Eric Gerets. Gerets installed Nasri as the attack's focal point, despite him missing Ribéry's transfer to Bayern Munich, and he retaliated by his best season with the club. He appeared in 42 total matches scoring a career-high six goals while also assisting with a career-high 15 goals. As Marseille boasted the third-best attack in the league behind champions Lyon and Bordeaux, who finished first and second in the standings respectively, Nasri developed alliances in the midfield with winger Mathieu Valbuena and midfielders Lorik Cana and Benoît Cheyrou. Nasri suffered in the early stages of the season because of the effects of a sprained ankle injury in the pre-season. In the team's first eight league games, he didn't score a goal or provide an assist. In a 2–0 victory over Metz on November 24, 2007, he scored on two goals. Nasri completed the fall season by helping with the equalizer's in a 2–2 draw with Bordeaux and making the final pass on the match-winning goal against Le Mans.

Nasri's goal-scoring began to flourish after the winter break. He scored goals in back-to-back matches against Nancy and Caen in late January. Nasri appeared in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in his career, but he didn't appear in the four group stage matches he appeared in. Due to a bout of meningitis, he missed the club's shocking victory over Liverpool at Anfield. Marseille ended the season in third place, resulting in the team's qualification for the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup. Despite being up 3–1 going into the second leg, Zenit Saint Petersburg defeated the club in the round of 16 by Zenit Saint Petersburg. Nasri was involved in two of Marseille's first goals out of three goals, two of which were scored by the end of the game. Nasri scored a goal in a 3–3 draw with Lens on March 16, 2008. In a 2–1 victory over Metz, he scored the game-winning goal. Nasri scored a goal and assisted on another in a 4-3 win in his last match against Strasbourg. Marseille finished third in the league's second season in a row, with the club qualifying for the second consecutive season. Nasri surprised many on May 8 by signing a three-year contract extension with the club until 2012.

Nasri had been linked to Arsenal's Premier League move one week after completing a contract extension. Since watching Nasri play at the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championships, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger had been monitoring him. Nasri's deal extending with Marseille was later revealed as simply protocol to encourage Marseille to receive a higher transfer fee for the player. The Bouches-du-Rhône-based club was seeking £14 million for the young midfielder. Both Nasri's agent and Wenger acknowledged that offers were made for the player and that a move to the English club was imminent ahead of UEFA Euro 2008. Following the competition on July 11, 2008, Nasri agreed to a four-year deal, the pact came to an end. The transfer fee was undisclosed, but it was estimated to be in the range of £12 million. Nasri admitted Wenger was one of the main reasons for his joining the club: "Arsène Wenger's generosity to young players is extremely significant to me." Arsène has a good reputation, and he is one of the world's best managers."

Nasri was given the number 8 shirt, which had previously worn by Arsenal legends Ian Wright, George Graham, Alan Sunderland, and Freddie Ljungberg, and made his club debut on July 30th in a friendly match against German club VfB Stuttgart in a 3–1 victory. On August 16, he made his Premier League debut against West Bromwich Albion in the team's first match of the season. Nasri's first league goal scoring with a close-range goal in the match, after four minutes in a 1–0 win. He became the 83rd player to score on his debut and the 22nd Arsenal player in Premier League history after his debut in goal. Nasri scored his second goal for the team in the team's 2008-09 UEFA Champions League third leg tie against Twente on August 27. Arsenal won the match 4–0 and tied 6–0 on aggregate, with the match tied 6–0. In a 2–1 win over Manchester United, Nasri scored both of Arsenal's goals on Sunday.

Nasri scored the first goal by Robin van Persie in the team's 1–1 draw with Liverpool on December 21. Nasri returned to his scoring form in the new year. In the club's 3–1 victory over Hull City at the KC Stadium on January 17, 2009, he scored his second goal. Nasri took another two months to score another goal, which came in Arsenal's 3–1 away victory over Newcastle United. He played in 44 games during his first season with Arsenal, scoring seven goals and five assists.

Nasri suffered a broken leg while playing in a training match with Arsenal in Bad Waltersdorf on July 21, 2009. Nasri missed the 2009–10 Premier League season due to the injury, which required two to three months of rest. In a League Cup tie against Liverpool on October 25, 2009, he made his debut in the campaign late in the year. Nasri won by a 2–1 win and played the entire match. In the team's 2009–10 UEFA Champions League group stage match against AZ, he scored his first goal of the season on November 4th. Nasri converted another Champions League goal, this time against Standard Liège in a 2–0 victory. He spent a lot with the team over the winter months and ended the 2009 calendar year by scoring a goal and assisting in the 4-1 victory over Portsmouth away at Fratton Park.

Nasri returned to goal-scoring form in the team's 5–0 second leg victory over Porto in the Champions League knockout round, after going nearly two months without scoring a single goal. The aim, according to English newspaper David Lacey, "reminiscent of a lost art in British football," showcased Nasri's dribbling, as well as his individuality. Nasri dribbled through and past three Porto players in a tiny area of space before bringing the ball past wing-back lvaro Pereira and racing it across the goalkeeper, pushing the ball into the goalkeeper, pushing it into the goalkeeper and pushing it into the goalkeeper, throwing it off the far post. The Nasri target was then compared by the English media to similar targets in the region. Nasri scored the first goal against Birmingham City three weeks after being a replacement in the second half. Birmingham was later equalized thanks to Kevin Phillips' late goal. Arsenal and Wenger's six-consecutive league victories ended in a row, and Wenger admitted that the draw "was a major blow to our hopes [of winning the league]" and "was a big blow to our chances [of winning the league]]. Nasri was instrumental on goals in a 3–2 loss to Wigan Athletic and a 4–0 home victory over Fulham in the team's last seven league matches. Arsenal also finished the season in third place. Nasri played in 34 games during his second season with Arsenal, scoring five goals and five assists.

Nasri said he was determined to re-capture his form that had resulted in Arsenal signing him two years ago. "I was shocked to learn that I wasn't in the team for the World Cup, I got a big slap in the face" when he said. Nasri was reassured after speaking with Arsène Wenger, who told him he should use the non-call-up as motivation. Nasri's campaign got off to a promising start. On August 15, 2010, he was named in Arsenal's starting lineup to face Liverpool in the first game of the season. Nasri lost the entire match in a 1–1 draw. Arsenal revealed Nasri had sustained a knee injury during the match that would keep him out for a month. On his return to Arsenal, the player returned to the squad after just three games to help the team beat Braga 6–0. In the club's 4–1 extra time victory over Tottenham Hotspur rivals, Danny Jano, on September 21, he scored a double. Both goals were converted from the penalty box. In a 3–2 home loss to West Bromwich Albion, Nasri scored another double four days later.

Nasri's fine form continued as the season progressed. He scored on a Sébastien Squillaci goal in the team's 3–1 victory in the Champions League group stage clash against Serbian club Partizan. Nasri scored goals in three straight matches in October 2010. In a 2–1 victory over Birmingham City, he started the streak by converting a penalty. Nasri won 5–1 in the club's second match against Shakhtar Donetsk on a left-footed volley. He also assisted in the game with a goal. In a 3–0 win over Manchester City five days later, he scored his first goal and set up the third goal. Nasri was named PFA Fans' Player of the Month in October 2010, as a result of his appearances in October 2010. Nasri was on the scoresheet again in November, netting the opener in a 3–2 loss to Tottenham. In a 4–2 victory over Aston Villa a week later, he scored a volley.

Arsenal defeated Fulham 2–1 on December 4th and Nasri scored two goals against Fulham to give Arsenal a 2–1 victory. Arsenal gained a position at the top of the league table thanks to the victory. Nasri's seventh and eighth goals were achieved in the league, as well as his tenth and 11th overall. In Arsenal's vital last group match against Partizan, a 3–1 victory was only four days later. Nasri was named France Football Player of the Year in December for his work during the 2010 calendar year, defeating Chelsea midfielder Florent Malouda and Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. He became the first Arsenal player to win the award after Thierry Henry in 2006. Nasri was also rewarded domestically for his December debuts, winning the Fans' Player of the Month award for the second time in the season, as well as winning the club's monthly award. For the second month in a row in January, he received the award.

In the 3–0 victory over Birmingham City on January 1, 2011, Nasri scored his 13th goal of the season. Nasri scored his first goal in the FA Cup in a 3–1 victory over Leeds United in the third round. Nasri was forced to miss the team's fourth round FA Cup match against Huddersfield Town due to a hamstring strain on January 30. He then missed two weeks and returned to the team two weeks later in the Champions League knockout round match against Barcelona, Spain's champions. Nasri assisted with the match-winning goal scored by Andrey Arshavin in the first leg. Arsenal won the match 21-0, but on aggregate, they tied the game 4–3 after losing a 3–1 loss at the Camp Nou in the second leg. Nasri was nominated for both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards on April 8th. Gareth Bale and teammate Jack Wilshere received both awards, but was given consolation for his appearance on the association's Team of the Year.

Nasri has expressed profound admiration for his former manager Wenger, who has also referred to him as a "role model" and a "magician" during his time at Emirates Stadium. In total, Nasri scored 27 goals in 124 games for Arsenal.

Nasri had signed Premier League club Manchester City on August 24, 2011. The transfer fee was set at £25 million and the player had signed a four-year contract.

Nasri made his club debut on August 28th in a league match against Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester City cruised to a 5–1 victory after he scored on three goals in the game. Nasri was assisting in the team's next match after the international break in September, beating Wigan Athletic 3–0. He scored his first goal for the club on October 1st, scoring his third goal in a 4–0 win and also assisting on two other goals. Nasri scored his second goal for Manchester City on December 3rd, converting a free kick in a 5-1 victory over Norwich City after nearly two months without a league goal. Nasri's third goal for the club in a 3–2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the following month. He scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Chelsea after receiving a through-ball from teammate Carlos Tevez on March 21, 2012. In a 2–0 away victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on April 22, he scored in a 2–0 win. After beating Queens Park Rangers 3–2, Nasri claimed his first Premier League trophy on May 13 as Manchester City crowned Premier League champions for the 2011-2012 season.

Nasri changed his squad numbers from 19 to 8. Nasri scored and assisted a goal in the 2012 Community Shield, a 3–2 win over FA Cup champion Chelsea on August 12th. In a 3–2 victory over newly promoted Southampton a week later, he scored and assisted again on the first day of the 2012–13 Premier League. In the UEFA Champions League group stage, he scored against Ajax 3–1 loss. Nasri was chastised for failing to stop Robin van Persie's winning goal for Manchester United in the Manchester Derby in December 2012.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said he "would like to give [Nasri] a punch" after his poor form in a 4–0 win over Newcastle United. City beat Chelsea 2–1 in the FA Cup semi-finals on April 14th. Nasri scored the first goal on April 14th.

In the match against Manchester United, Nasri scored his first goal of the 2013-14 season in a 4-1 win. For the first time in club history, he provided support for goals by Sergio Agüero and lvaro Negredo as City cruised by CSKA Moscow 5–2 to advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Nasri scored twice in a 3–0 victory over Swansea City on December 1st.

Manchester City beat Sunderland 3–1 to win the 2014 League Cup final on March 2nd, 2014, with Nasri scoring his second goal. Nasri received the Alan Hardaker Trophy in the final for his work in the tournament.

Nasri aided Edin Deko's game-winning goal as City came from behind to win 3–2 and go top of the table with two games remaining in a crucial Premier League match against Everton on May 3rd. Nasri scored Manchester City's opening goal in a 2–0 victory over West Ham United as the club retained the 2013–14 Premier League title.

Nasri signed a new five-year contract with Manchester City on July 10, 2014, keeping him at the club until 2017.

Nasri will miss four to five months of action as a result of a tendon injury in preparation, which was revealed on November 22, 2015. Manchester City defeated West Bromwich Albion 21-0 on April 10, 2016, during his first match back from injury.

Nasri joined Sevilla, Spain, on a season-long loan contract on August 31, 2016.

Nasri signed with Turkish side Antalyaspor on a two-year contract for a reported €3.5 million transfer fee on August 21. Nasri mutually ended his player deal with the club on January 31, 2018, having appeared on eight appearances and scored two goals in the Süper Lig during his five-month tenure.

Nasri was banned from football by UEFA in December 2016 after receiving an intravenous drip of 500 millilitres of water containing nutrients. Following an appeal from UEFA's ethics and disciplinary inspector, Nasri's ban was lifted by an extra 12 months on August 1st. The ban was back-dated to 1 July 2017.

Nasri started training with West Ham United on December 31st, 2018 and undertook a medicine in the hopes of landing a short-term deal. Nasri signed a short-term contract with West Ham until the end of the 2018-19 season as a result of the suspension. Nasri will leave the club at the end of his deal in May 2019, West Ham announced in May that he would leave the team at the end of his deal. At the end of the 2018–19 season, West Ham released him.

Nasri joined Belgian club Anderlecht on a free transfer on July 5th. He was released by the club in 2020.

Nasri revealed to Le Journal du Dimanche in September 2021 that he had withdrawn from professional football after being banned from football since being released from Anderlecht.

International career

Nasri has earned caps with all of France's youth teams for which he was eligible. He is a member of the organization "Génération 1987," which produced internationals Hatem Ben Arfa, Karim Benzema, and Jérémy Ménez himself. Nasri made 16 appearances and scored eight goals with the Under-16 team. Nasri was the first player to play in the team under new head coach François Blaquart's guidance and made his debut against Spain in the team's first game of the season. France triumphed the match 3–0. In the team's first group stage match against Sweden, Nasri scored his first goal for the team on October 29th. Nasri scored the first goal in the team's 6–1 victory over Greece on December 11th. As France finished third place in the championship, he scored two goals in four matches at the 2003 Aegean Cup in Turkey. Nasri won the team's second group stage match against Israel, a 3–1 victory. In the upcoming group stage match, he scored a goal in a 5–0 victory over Ukraine. Nasri assisted with a goal scored by Ben Arfa in the third place match against Belgium. Nasri scored his first goal in the team's 8–0 victory over Gabon in the team's first group match at the Tournoi de Montai. France finished as the runner-up to Italy, who beat France 5–1 in the final match.

Nasri, Menez, and Ben Arfa were joined by Karim Benzema and assigned with the challenge of winning the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship on home soil. In a 5–2 victory, Nasri made his debut with the team in the first match of the season against Sweden, scoring a goal. Nasri scored his lone goal in the team's second straight yearly appearance at the Tournoi du Val-de-Marne, beating the United States 2–0 for the second straight season, without conceding a single point. Nasri scored against Portugal in the competition's semi-finals at the 2004 European Under-17 Championships. France went on to win the match 3–1 for a spot in the final. France defeated Spain in the final match of the season. Nasri scored the game-winning goal to win France its first-ever title in the competition. He made 16 appearances and scored six goals for the under-17s in total. Nasri's time with the under-18 team was uneventful, with only four matches appearing in due to increased playing time at his parent club Marseille.

Nasri, Ben Arfa, Benzema, and Ménez' foursome returned to international play together for the first time under 19 years. Issiar Dia, Blaise Matuidi, and Serge Gakpé were among the four four foursomes in the 2006 European Under-19 Championships, aiming to win the UEFA European Under-19 Championship. With two friendly matches against Norway, the team began the season. Nasri scored two goals in two games: one in a 4–0 victory and the other in a 5–0 victory. Nasri scored on two goals in the team's 3–1 victory over Wales in the first round of qualifying for the tournament. In the team's next group stage match against San Marino, he scored his third goal in a 3–0 win. Nasri scored the first goal and assisted on a Benzema goal in a 2–0 victory in the final group match against Austria. France was disqualified after being defeated on points by Scotland in the final round of qualifying, despite being undefeated. Following the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship against Belgium, Nasri received his first call up to the under-21 team under new head coach René Girard in the team's first match. He started the game but was interrupted by Florent Sinama Pongolle at halftime. He appeared in qualifying matches for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and he was a replacement in both legs of the team's humiliating loss to Israel in the qualifying playoffs. Despite being eligible to play for the team until 2009, Nasri's appearance in Israel's second leg defeat was his last with the team.

Nasri was called up to the senior team by coach Raymond Domenech for the first time by the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Lithuania and a friendly against Austria on March 15th. Nasri said he was "very happy and proud" to have been called into the national team, adding that the call-up was all the more thrilling as the game was a critical European Championship qualifier. In the match against Lithuania, he appeared on the bench but he did not turn up. Nasri made his international debut against Austria on March 28th, 19 years old. He started the game and was involved with the only goal, but he scored on the free kick, which Karim Benzema scored. Nasri returned to the squad in June for matches, but he scored his first international goal against Georgia in a 1–0 Euro qualifying win over Georgia on June 6th.

Nasri scored his second international goal in a friendly match against Morocco on November 16, 2007. He was selected in the 23-man squad to represent in Euro 2008 as a result of his appearances. Nasri made his appearance in the team's first group stage match against Romania on June 9, 2008, as a substitute. He did not participate in the team's 4–1 loss to the Netherlands, but he did appear in the team's last group stage match against Italy. In the tenth minute, Nasri appeared as a substitute for the injured Franck Ribéry. Nasri was forced to leave the game following defender Eric Abidal's red card in the 24th minute in order for defender Jean-Alain Boumsong to take Abidal's place in the lineup.

Nasri was one of a group of young players accused of being insolent during the team's campaign at Euro 2008. William Gallas, a domestic teammate who was charged in his autobiography, was charged with the allegations. Nasri was often identified as the player in question despite not being named in the book. Nasri opened up about the situation in 2010, claiming that during Gallas' final year at Arsenal, Nasri was one of "four or five" Arsenal players who did not speak to him. Nasri lived up to a promise not to shake Gallas' hand during the pre-match build-up on November 20, 2010.

Nasri appeared in only three games with the national team in the 2008–09 season. The midfielder went uncapped after playing against Lithuania on March 28, 2009, and he went uncapped for almost a year and a half. Nasri became drained of his chances of playing with the team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup during the 2009–10 season. In the end, he did not appear with the team, failed to make the 23-man squad or even the preliminary squad.

Nasri returned to the national team under new coach Laurent Blanc's reign for the team's friendly against Norway on August 11, 2010. He missed the September call-ups due to injury before returning to the squad in October for Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Romania and Luxembourg. Nasri captained the national team for the first time in the national team's 2–0 Euro qualification win over Luxembourg on March 25, 2011. On Philippe Mexès's opening goal, he was assisting. Nasri scored the equalizer goal in the team's last Euro qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina, converting a penalty in a 1–1 draw. The point was made from the stalemate that culminated in France's debut in Euro 2012 qualifying events. Nasri was selected to the squad for the tournament after being on parade in qualifying for Euro 2012 on May 29, 2012. He scored the equalizing goal in a 1–1 draw in the team's first group stage match against England.

When France lost to Spain in the quarter-finals, Nasri treated a reporter to what was described as a "foul-mouthed tirade" when asked for his opinion on the game. The French Football Federation (FFF) banned three matches in particular for those and other misdeeds.

France's Didier Deschamps revealed his 23-man team for the 2014 World Cup on May 13, omitting Nasri.

Nasri announced on August 9, 2014, at the age of 27, that he had decided not to retire from international football.

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