Henry draws criticism for joking about Yamal's third Kopa Trophy at 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony

According to British media outlet GB News, French football legend Thierry Henry sparked controversy at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday evening for his playful teasing of Barcelona player Yamal and for correcting co-host Kate Scott's pronunciation. While some fans felt Henry's jokes overstepped, others defended him, viewing it as normal humorous banter.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony took place at the London Palladium, with Henry and Kate Scott co-hosting. Bayern Munich striker Kane won the men's Ballon d'Or, ahead of Mbappé and Yamal.

Although he didn't win the Ballon d'Or, Yamal secured the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year. However, Henry's comments when presenting the award to Yamal sparked public debate.

Henry asked, "This is your third time winning this award, right?"

Yamal nodded in response.

Henry then continued, "But is this the trophy you really wanted to take home tonight?"

Upon hearing the question, Yamal smiled and looked down as laughter erupted from the audience. Henry then asked Yamal if he needed the question repeated in Spanish.

The interaction received mixed reactions. Some fans believed Henry was simply joking, while others felt that asking such a question while Yamal was celebrating a personal achievement put the young player in an awkward position.

Some critics even accused Henry of bullying Yamal. However, based solely on Yamal's reaction at the time, it is impossible to determine whether he himself felt uncomfortable.

In addition to his interaction with Yamal, Henry was criticized for another incident. During the awards presentation, he corrected co-host Kate Scott's pronunciation of the Socrates Award, leading some viewers to express disapproval of how he publicly corrected his colleague.

One social media user commented, "There was no need for Henry to do that."

Another wrote, "He comes across as very arrogant."

Some fans also criticized Henry for seemingly always seeking attention: "His social etiquette is poor. He's the type who likes to make everything about himself and draw attention to himself."

Another viewer noted that Scott appeared nervous after being corrected: "She became very nervous. I even felt embarrassed for her. Her confidence seemed to suffer, yet she continued hosting. Henry looked very serious at that moment."

However, not all fans agreed with these criticisms. Some pointed out that Henry and Scott have worked together for a long time on CBS Sports, and similar humorous exchanges are common between them, so these interactions should not be over-interpreted.