Thierry Henry explains Yamal joke after fans accuse him of disrespect.
Henry, who co-hosted the awards ceremony alongside Kate Scott on Monday, faced criticism after jokingly questioning whether Yamal really wanted the […] The post Thierry Henry explains Yamal joke after fans accuse him of disrespect appeared first on Vanguard News .
Former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry has explained his controversial remarks about Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal during the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, insisting that he had no intention of disrespecting the young footballer.
Yamal won the trophy for the third consecutive time, but Henry’s comments sparked reactions from fans who interpreted them as a suggestion that the teenager was overly concerned about winning individual honours.
Responding to the backlash in a video shared on Instagram, Henry said his remarks had been misunderstood, stressing that he was a huge admirer of the Barcelona star. “For Lamine Yamal, I wasn’t checking his ego at all. 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,” he said. The former Barcelona forward explained that he had expected Yamal to compete for the main Ballon d’Or award, which was eventually won by England captain Harry Kane.
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