Thierry Henry faced criticism for making a ‘disrespectful’ comment to Lamine Yamal during the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Thierry Henry faced a lot of criticism for what he said to Lamine Yamal during the Men’s Young Talent of the Year award presentation at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony in London.
Many top football stars gathered at the London Palladium Theatre to celebrate, as Harry Kane edged out Kylian Mbappé and Yamal to win the men’s top prize after an amazing 2025/26 season. Kane helped Bayern secure the domestic double, and England finished third at the World Cup.
Spain took home the World Cup, with their coach Luis de la Fuente winning best coach. Three Spanish players made it into the Ballon d’Or top 10: Yamal (third), Rodri (fourth), and Fabián Ruiz (10th).
Even though Yamal didn’t win the main award, he had a great night, receiving the Men’s Young Talent of the Year trophy from former Barcelona and Arsenal star Henry, who was co-presenting with Kate Scott. Yamal had also won this award in 2024 and 2025. On stage, Yamal showed humility by saying, “This prize should have been for [Pau] Cubarsí.” However, people didn’t react well to Henry’s comment to him.
Henry joked, “It’s your third one, right? But is it the one you really wanted to win?” Yamal laughed and replied, “No,” which made the audience, including Barcelona president Joan Laporta, chuckle.
Many fans on social media didn’t like Henry’s joke and called it disrespectful. One said, “Thierry Henry should never present again. That was a shameful question to ask Yamal.” Another wrote, “A grown man publicly teasing a 19-year-old who already placed second and third in the Ballon d’Or is just arrogant and bitter. Yamal’s smile showed more class than Henry ever could.”
Others felt Henry’s comment was unnecessary, pointing out that Yamal was clearly disappointed but handled it gracefully by quickly shifting focus to Cubarsí. Some even said Henry was a bit too harsh by “hitting Yamal where it hurts.”
Yamal’s kind words about Cubarsí stood out. He said, “I would have liked to see my teammate [Pau] Cubarsí here because I think this prize should have been for him. He’s been playing at a high level for a while now. This is my third time receiving this prize, and I want to thank my club and national team.”
He made it clear that this award really belonged to Cubarsí.
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