Ballon d'Or 2026: jokes during the ceremony, Thierry Henry explains himself

In recent hours, Thierry Henry sought to set the record straight after the controversy sparked by his jokes during Monday evening’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in London.

Lamine Yamal had just won his third consecutive Kopa Trophy, and Thierry Henry jokingly asked him whether it was really the award he wanted to win, clearly referring to the Ballon d’Or. The young Barcelona player replied with a laugh: “I want them all!”

However, the sequence prompted numerous reactions on social media, with some users accusing Henry of wanting to put Lamine Yamal in his place. The Frenchman firmly denied that interpretation in a video posted on Instagram. “I absolutely wasn’t trying to put his ego in its place. I’m a huge fan of Lamine Yamal. I can understand that you didn’t like the joke, but don’t make up intentions. He’s one of the players I would pay to watch play. I love him,” he explained.

Thierry Henry’s clear response to the criticism

Thierry Henry also responded to criticism concerning another joke aimed at his co-host Kate Scott, whose pronunciation of Sócrates’s name he corrected. “Kate was in on the joke. She did it on purpose. So, please, stop saying that I disrespected her. I would never do that,” Henry added. His version was confirmed by the person concerned, who commented on his post to assure everyone that there had been no disrespect.

Read also: Ballon d'Or 2026: Hugo Lloris’s lovely message to Harry Kane

The Arsenal legend used this opportunity to congratulate Harry Kane, despite his public support for Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Ballon d’Or. “You deserve this award. You are the perfect example of what I always say: hard work is a talent,” Thierry Henry said.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.