Thierry Henry Criticized for Questioning Lamine Yamal's Kopa Trophy Win at Ballon d'Or
Thierry Henry faced backlash for asking Lamine Yamal if the Kopa Trophy, which he won for a third consecutive year, was the award he truly wanted at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London. Many viewers criticized the comment as disrespectful. Yamal, 19, finished third in the main Ballon d'Or standings behind winner Harry Kane and runner-up Kylian Mbappe, despite scoring 25 goals and 20 assists last season. He laughed and replied "No" to Henry's question, but social media users slammed the former Arsenal star. Yamal said the Kopa Trophy was an honor but believed Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsi deserved it instead. He is now the early frontrunner for the 2027 Ballon d'Or after a strong start to the current campaign.