Thierry Henry Defends Remarks About Lamine Yamal, Kate Scott at Ballon d’Or Ceremony

Former France international Thierry Henry has defended his interactions with Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal and presenter Kate Scott at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, insisting that his comments were not intended to disrespect either of them.

Henry, who co-hosted the ceremony with Scott in London, United Kingdom, addressed the controversy in a video shared on his Instagram page on Tuesday, following criticism of two separate exchanges during the event.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona striker faced backlash over a question he directed at Yamal after the teenager secured his third consecutive Kopa Trophy, as well as a joke involving Scott during the presentation of the Socrates Award.

The incidents sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some viewers accusing Henry of embarrassing Yamal and disrespecting his co-presenter. Others defended the former footballer, describing the exchanges as harmless humour that had been taken out of context.

Yamal’s latest Kopa Trophy triumph extended his record in the award category, which recognises the best young player in world football. However, the Barcelona forward missed out on the Ballon d’Or, the ceremony’s most prestigious individual honour.

Henry drew attention to the distinction when he asked Yamal whether the Kopa Trophy was the award he had really wanted. Some viewers interpreted the question as a reference to the teenager’s failure to win the main prize, arguing that it placed him in an uncomfortable position and diminished his achievement.

Responding to the criticism, Henry said he had no intention of undermining Yamal’s confidence or challenging his ego. He also expressed admiration for the young Barcelona star, describing him as one of the players he particularly enjoys watching.

“I’m a big fan of Lamine Yamal. I wasn’t trying to check his ego whatsoever. If you didn’t like the joke, I understand,” Henry said.

Explaining the context of his question, he added that he knew the Ballon d’Or announcement was still to come when he spoke to Yamal.

“I was simply asking if that was the trophy he really wanted because I knew the real prize was coming later,” he said.

Henry further emphasised his admiration for the teenager, adding, “He’s actually one of those players I would pay to watch. I love him.”

The former France captain also addressed criticism over his exchange with Scott during the presentation of the Socrates Award, named after the late Brazilian football legend. The joke centred on the pronunciation of Socrates’ name, with some viewers interpreting Henry’s response as dismissive towards his co-presenter.

Rejecting the allegations, Henry insisted that Scott was aware of the joke and had deliberately participated in the exchange.

“Kate was in on the joke with me, and you can ask Kate, by the way. She did it on purpose to say Socrates,” he said.

He also expressed frustration over claims that he had disrespected Scott, stressing that he would not deliberately undermine her.

“Please stop saying I disrespected Kate. I will never do that,” Henry added.

Henry acknowledged that not everyone would find the exchanges amusing but urged viewers not to interpret his remarks as deliberately malicious. His response has added another dimension to the debate over the ceremony, with opinions remaining divided on whether the moments were harmless banter or inappropriate remarks.