OMM Newsroom
Former France forward Thierry Henry has responded to criticism over a joke he made about Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
After the Spanish player won the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive time, Henry jokingly asked whether he really wanted to win the award, referring to the Ballon d’Or. The main individual prize went to Bayern Munich and England forward Harry Kane. Yamal laughed and replied: “I want to win them all!”
The exchange prompted discussion on social media. Some users suggested Henry was trying to “put the young footballer in his place.” The Frenchman rejected that interpretation in a video posted on a social media platform.
“I was not trying to hurt his pride or put him in his place at all. I am a big fan of Lamine Yamal. I understand that you didn’t like my joke, but don’t attribute intentions to me that I didn’t have. He is one of those players I would pay to watch. I admire him,” Henry said, according to Footmercato.
Yamal finished third in the 2026 Ballon d’Or voting. He was behind Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe.
