Thierry Henry Claps Back at Ballon d'Or Critics

Thierry Henry has stepped up to clarify his comments after facing backlash for his hosting duties at Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony. The legendary France and Arsenal striker found himself under fire for remarks directed at Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, the evening's winner Harry Kane, and co-host Kate Scott. Henry responded by suggesting that the uproar was overblown, insisting it was a case of "people getting really excited about nothing." During the event, Henry playfully ribbed Yamal about winning yet another Young Player of the Year award. He also corrected Scott on the pronunciation of Brazil icon Socrates' name and expressed his hope that fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappe would take home the top honor. Regarding the Yamal incident—which drew a noticeable response from the audience—Henry made it clear he holds the young talent in high esteem. He teased Yamal, saying, "It's your third one, right? But is it the one you really wanted to win?" In a social media video posted Wednesday, Henry emphasized, "I'm a big fan of Lamine Yamal. I wasn't checking his ego at all. If you didn't like the joke, I can understand that. But don't twist it; he's a player I'd pay to watch, I love him." Henry also addressed the criticism surrounding his correction of Scott's pronunciation, insisting that she was in on the joke. "You didn't like the joke, I understand, but please stop saying I disrespected Kate. I would never do that—she was in on it with me." He added that Arsenal's Bukayo Saka won the Socrates Award for his remarkable humanitarian efforts. As for Kane, Henry called him a "worthy winner" of the Ballon d'Or, reminding everyone to "relax" about his support for Mbappe. "I’m French, so I was always going to back my fellow countryman," he noted. "But to Harry, I said, 'You deserve it, you're the example that work ethic is a talent. Well done, Harry Kane—I now call him Sir Harry Kane since the World Cup.' "So please, folks, relax. I love Harry Kane, I love Lamine Yamal, and I didn’t disrespect Kate. She was part of the joke with me."