Thierry Henry defends Ballon d'Or hosting after awkward moments in London

Thierry Henry has defended his conduct as co-host of the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, addressing criticism over his interactions with Kate Scott, Lamine Yamal, and winner Harry Kane in a social media video. Henry said Scott was "in on the joke" regarding his correction of her pronunciation of "Socrates," and that his question to Yamal about the Kopa Trophy was not meant to belittle the young player's achievement. He also clarified his support for French players Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise was not a slight against Kane. The ceremony, held in London for the first time, saw Bayern Munich's Harry Kane win the Ballon d'Or, while Arsenal's Bukayo Saka took the Socrates Award and Yamal won his third straight Kopa Trophy. Henry urged the public to "relax" and stop creating "unnecessary controversy."