Thierry Henry responds to Ballon d'Or backlash over Yamal and Kate Scott jokes

Thierry Henry has responded to criticism of his comments at Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, where he co-hosted with Kate Scott. In a video shared after the event, he addressed two moments that drew attention: his question to Lamine Yamal and his exchange with Scott while introducing the Socrates Award. The first moment came after Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year. Henry asked whether it was the award the Barcelona star really wanted, a reference to the Ballon d’Or, which Yamal did not win. Some viewers called the question disrespectful and accused Henry of embarrassing the young player; others saw it as a joke. Henry says he was joking with Yamal, explaining that he asked because it was Yamal’s third time winning the Kopa Trophy and the main award was still to come. He said he understands if people did not like the joke, but stressed that he is a fan of Yamal and loves watching him play. He even described the Barcelona star as one of the players he would pay to watch.