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.
Some fans were not amused. One post, quoted by SportBible, said the question "felt like rubbing it in" for a player who had just missed out on the main prize, adding that Yamal "handled it perfectly".
Spain and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal speaks after winning the Trophy for the Men's Young Talent of the Year during the 2026 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony at the Palladium Theatre in London on October 26, 2026. Getty Images
Why was Henry criticised over the Kate Scott 'Socrates' joke?
Early in the ceremony, Scott began to introduce the Sócrates Award, named for the late Brazil international Sócrates and given for humanitarian work. It went to Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka. "We'll also give out the Socrates award," Scott said, pronouncing it like the Greek philosopher. Henry cut in: "What do you mean 'Socrates'?", adding a quip that there were no philosophers in the room.
Scott replied: "Socrates, excuse my pronunciation, everybody. Trust Thierry to get it right." The Sporting News said she appeared caught off guard, and many viewers online read Henry's interruption as dismissive of a presenter who speaks four languages.
How did Kate Scott respond?
In support of Henry. Under his Instagram video, Scott wrote: "100%... no disrespect to speak of." That fits the claim at the heart of his defence: that the exchange was agreed in advance.
There is some history behind the gag. On CBS's Champions League coverage, where the two work together, Scott has previously called Henry "the pronunciation police" after he corrected a colleague's pronunciation of Franck Ribery. Scott, who was known as Kate Abdo until she married the boxing trainer Malik Scott in 2024, co-hosted last year's ceremony with Ruud Gullit.
What did Thierry Henry say about the Kate Scott joke?
"Kate was with me on that joke," he said. "She did it on purpose, to say Socrates." He said critics could ask her people. "Please stop saying that I disrespect Kate," he said. "I will never do that."
What did Henry say to Harry Kane?
Henry also addressed his exchange with the winner. He said Kane had called him out for supporting Kylian Mbappe after Bayern's game against Arsenal, and that he had explained he was always going to back a fellow Frenchman. On stage, he said, he told Kane he was "a worthy winner" and an example of what he calls the idea that "working hard is a talent". GB News reports Kane listened to the remarks and thanked Henry as the audience applauded.
England and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane poses with his trophy on stage after receiving the Ballon d'Or award for the best male footballer during the 2026 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony at the Palladium Theatre in London on October 26, 2026. Getty Images
How did Thierry Henry respond to the backlash?
On Tuesday, the day after the ceremony, Henry posted a video to Instagram. On the Yamal question, he said he was "a big fan" and "wasn't checking his ego at all". He said he asked because it was Yamal's third Kopa, and because he knew "the real prize was coming after". "That you didn't like the joke, I can understand," he said, "but please don't do that." He finished by asking people to relax: "I love Harry Kane, I love Lamine Yamal. And I didn't disrespect Kate."
The moments side by side
| Moment | What was said | Why it drew criticism | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yamal's third Kopa Trophy | Henry: "But is it the one you really wanted to win?" Yamal: "No" | Seen as rubbing in the Ballon d'Or miss | Henry: not checking his ego, a joke about the bigger prize |
| The Sócrates Award | Henry: "What do you mean 'Socrates'?", plus a quip about philosophers. Scott: "Trust Thierry to get it right" | Seen as talking down to Scott | Henry: planned joke. Scott: "no disrespect to speak of" |
| Kane's win | Henry told him he was "a worthy winner" | Complaints online, per GB News | Henry: a response to Kane calling him out over Mbappe |
Who hosted the 2026 Ballon d'Or?
Henry and Scott co-hosted the 70th ceremony at the London Palladium on Monday 26 October, the first held outside Paris. Henry, 49, never won the Ballon d'Or himself, finishing second in 2003. Kane won it, the first Englishman to do so in 25 years, ahead of Mbappe and Yamal, as Eastern Eye had predicted.
