Henry defends himself after Ballon d'Or criticism

What the report says

Thierry Henry has defended himself after facing criticism for comments he made while co-hosting Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, saying the remarks were intended as jokes. The former Arsenal and France forward addressed the reaction on social media after being accused of being disrespectful to Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, winner Harry Kane and BBC/ CBS Sports co-host Kate Scott.

According to BBC Sport Football, Henry joked with Yamal about his third straight young player award and asked whether it was the trophy the teenager had most wanted to win. He also corrected Scott’s pronunciation of Socrates’ name during the broadcast and said he would have preferred fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappe to beat Kane for the top prize. The audience response to the Yamal exchange was noted as audible, prompting further debate online.

Henry later said he had great admiration for Yamal and rejected suggestions that he had bruised the player’s ego. He also insisted Scott had been part of the running joke and denied any disrespect toward her. On Kane, Henry said the England captain was a deserved winner and that his support for Mbappe reflected national backing for a French player rather than hostility toward the eventual champion.

BBC Sport Football reported that Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka won the Socrates Award for humanitarian and charity work at the ceremony. The episode has added to discussion around a high-profile awards night that drew attention not only for the winners, but also for Henry’s handling of the presentation.