Thierry Henry responds to criticism after Ballon d’Or ceremony

The day after the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, Thierry Henry responded to criticism over several of his remarks. The former France international co-hosted the event with Kate Scott in London on Monday night, and addressed his jokes involving Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane. A few minutes after his exchange with Yamal, Kane won the Ballon d’Or ahead of Kylian Mbappé and the Spanish player.

Henry first rejected the suggestion that he had tried to test Yamal’s ego. “First of all, as far as Lamine Yamal is concerned, I absolutely wasn’t trying to test his ego,” he said, before stressing his admiration for the player: he called himself a “big fan” and said Yamal was among the players he would pay to watch, adding: “I love him.”

Not everyone found the joke funny. The former France under-21 coach said he understood that some people might not have liked it, while asking them not to interpret his words as disrespectful. “If you didn’t like the joke, I can understand that, but please don’t do that,” he said. He also maintained that Kate Scott had been in on the joke.

The criticism also concerned an exchange with the presenter about how to pronounce Sócrates’s name. Henry said he believed Kate Scott had deliberately pronounced the Brazilian legend’s name that way. He rejected the suggestion that he had disrespected her and asked people to stop, in his words, “making things up.”

The host also addressed reactions to his tribute to Kane. He recalled that, on their CBS show, the player had accused him of supporting Kylian Mbappé. Henry replied that he had always backed his compatriots, but was keen to praise the winner: “You are a deserving winner. You deserve it.” He also praised Kane’s work ethic, which he regards as a talent in its own right. His explanation therefore addressed both his jokes during the ceremony and the way he intended to congratulate Kane after his win.