Henry defends Ballon d'Or hosting remarks as jokes after criticism
Thierry Henry has responded to criticism of his comments towards Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane and co-host Kate Scott during Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony, insisting they were jokes.
Thierry Henry has defended his hosting of Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony after criticism of remarks aimed at Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, winner Harry Kane and co-host Kate Scott. In a social media response on Wednesday, the former Arsenal forward said people were "getting really excited about nothing" and stressed that his comments were jokes.
One flashpoint came when Henry teased Lamine Yamal about his third successive young player of the year award, asking whether it was the prize he really wanted to win. The remark drew an audible reaction from the audience. Henry said he was not "checking his ego" and described himself as a big fan of the Spaniard, calling him one of the players he would pay to watch, while accepting that some did not like the joke.
Henry also addressed criticism over correcting Scott's pronunciation of Brazil legend Socrates' name. He said Scott was in on the joke and that she had said the name that way deliberately, urging people to stop saying he disrespected her. Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for his humanitarian and charity work.
Henry, who hosted alongside CBS Sports colleague Scott, also admitted he had wanted fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappe to take the top prize ahead of Kane. He later called Kane a "worthy winner" and said he had told the England captain he deserved it, praising his work ethic as an example that hard work is itself a talent.
The 49-year-old explained that his backing of Mbappe stemmed from being French and supporting a fellow countryman. He closed by saying he loves Kane and Lamine Yamal and did not disrespect Scott, repeating that she was part of the joke.
Image: EPA / BBC Sport
