Thierry Henry has defended his hosting of Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony after facing criticism for comments made towards Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, and co-host Kate Scott. The former France and Arsenal forward claimed the remarks were jokes and that people were 'getting really excited about nothing'.
Henry, presenting alongside CBS Sports colleague Scott, joked with Yamal about winning his third successive young player of the year award, asking: 'It's your third one, right? But is it the one you really wanted to win?' In a social media video on Wednesday, Henry clarified: 'I'm a big fan of Lamine Yamal. I wasn't checking his ego at all - that you didn't like the joke, I can understand.'
He also addressed criticism over correcting Scott's pronunciation of Brazil legend Socrates' name, insisting she was 'on the joke' with him. 'You can ask her, she did Soc on purpose,' Henry said. Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka won the Socrates Award for his humanitarian work.
Henry called Kane a 'worthy winner' and urged critics to 'relax', stating: 'I love Harry Kane, I love Lamine Yamal and I didn't disrespect Kate. She was on the joke with me.'
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing