Thierry Henry tells critics to relax after Ballon d'Or Lamine Yamal joke misfires

Thierry Henry has urged his critics to “relax” after two jokes he made while co-hosting the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday drew a wave of online backlash, with Harry Kane taking home the main prize on the night.

The former Arsenal forward shared a video on Instagram to address the controversy, focusing first on a remark he directed at Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal. When presenting Yamal with the Kopa Trophy — awarded to the world’s best young player — Henry appeared to question whether it was the prize the teenager truly wanted, prompting accusations that he was undermining the 17-year-old.

“For Lamine Yamal, I wasn’t checking his ego at all,” Henry said. “I just thought that, as the third time that he’s winning that trophy, I just asked him if that’s the one that he really wanted. I am a big fan of Lamine Yamal. I wasn’t checking his ego whatsoever. That you didn’t like the joke, I can understand, but please don’t do that. He’s one of the players that I will pay to watch. I love him.”

Henry added that the intent behind the comment was to acknowledge that Yamal was widely expected to contend for the main Ballon d’Or award itself. “I just asked if it was the one that he really wants, because I knew that the real prize was coming after. Unfortunately, he didn’t win it, because he’s a hell of a player that I enjoy to watch.”

The 49-year-old also addressed a second moment of controversy involving his CBS co-host Kate Scott, after he appeared to mock her pronunciation of the name Socrates on air. Henry was firm that the exchange was planned in advance and that Scott was a willing participant.

“Kate was with me on that joke,” he said. “She did it on purpose, to say Socrates. And I had to say Socrates [with a different pronunciation]. That you didn’t like the joke, I understand. But please stop saying that I disrespect Kate. I will never do that. She was in on the joke.”

Henry also used the Instagram video to address his relationship with the evening’s winner, Kane, explaining that a recent on-air exchange about his support for Kylian Mbappé had been taken out of context. “I told him the other day that although I’m French, I was always going to back up and support my fellow countryman,” Henry said. “But I said to him, ‘You are a worthy winner. You deserve it. You are the example of what I always call: work ethic is a talent, working hard is a talent’. I call him Sir Harry Kane since the World Cup.”

Henry closed his message with a direct appeal: “So please, people out there. Relax. I love Harry Kane, I love Lamine Yamal.”