Thierry Henry faces backlash following ‘disrespectful’ on-stage remark to Lamine Yamal

Former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has come under heavy criticism for comments made to Lamine Yamal during the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, according to SPORTbible.​

While presenting the 19-year-old with the Men’s Young Talent of the Year award, Henry poked fun at Yamal’s third-place finish for the main award, asking: “It’s your third one, right? But is it the one you really wanted to win?”

Yamal laughed before replying, “No,” prompting amusement from the audience.​However, fans online expressed anger at the banter, with one social media user calling it a “shameful question” that showed a “complete lack of class.”​

Yamal used his acceptance speech to highlight his teammate: “I would have liked to see my teammate [Pau] Cubarsí here because I think this prize should have been for him,” he stated, adding, “Speaking about this one specifically, this one should have been for Cubarsí.”