Thierry Henry defends Ballon d’Or Gala jokes about Yamal, Kane and co-presenter Kate Scott

Thierry Henry has defended his comments and jokes during the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony after facing criticism over his interactions with Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane and fellow presenter Kate Scott.

According to GOAL.com, the former France striker issued a statement on Instagram to clarify remarks that sparked debate following Monday’s ceremony in London. Henry faced criticism after asking Barcelona forward Yamal, who won the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive time, whether it was the award he really wanted, given his hopes of winning the Ballon d’Or.

“I wasn’t trying to bring out his ego at all,” Henry stressed. The former Arsenal captain also praised the 19-year-old, saying: “He’s an incredible player and one of those I’d pay to watch. I love him. I simply asked him whether that was really the award he wanted, because I knew the biggest prize was still to come. Unfortunately, he didn’t win.”

Yamal finished third behind Kylian Mbappe and winner Kane, who Henry insisted was a deserving champion. “I said to Kane: ‘You are a worthy winner. You deserve it and you show that dedication and hard work are talents. Well done, Harry Kane.'”

Henry also rejected accusations of disrespecting Scott after correcting her pronunciation of the Socrates Awards. “Kate was in on the joke; you can ask her. She deliberately said Socratis and I was supposed to correct her to Socrates,” he explained. “Stop making up stories,” Henry concluded.