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Highlights

• Thierry Henry, who co-hosted the 2026 Ballon d'Or with Kate Scott, has defended two jokes that drew criticism, in a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday
• He asked Lamine Yamal whether the Kopa Trophy was "the one you really wanted to win", and interrupted Scott's pronunciation of the Sócrates Award
• Henry says he was not "checking" Yamal's ego, and that Scott said "Socrates" on purpose as part of a planned joke
• Scott replied on Instagram: "100%... no disrespect to speak of"

A night that was meant to belong to Harry Kane ended with its two hosts in a social media row. Thierry Henry has answered the critics with a three-minute video, telling them to "relax", and his co-host, Kate Scott, has backed his version of events.

What did Thierry Henry say to Lamine Yamal at the Ballon d'Or?

When Yamal, 19, collected the Men's Young Talent award, or Kopa Trophy, for the third year running, Henry joked that it was his third one. Then he asked: "But is it the one you really wanted to win?" The question was a reference to the Ballon d'Or, which Yamal would not win. Yamal, who had just said the prize "should have been for" his team-mate Pau Cubarsi, laughed and replied "No", to laughter from the audience, including Barcelona president Joan Laporta.