Lamine Yamal–Kate Scott Ballon d'Or banter backlash: Thierry Henry breaks his silence

Lamine Yamal–Kate Scott Ballon d'Or banter backlash: Thierry Henry breaks his silence Thierry Henry has come up with his stance to dampen the users' criticism surrounding his Ballon d'Or banter related to Lamine Yamal and Kate Scott. At the center of the growing backlash is Thierry Henry's comments which divided football fans after his exchanges with Lamine Yamal and co-host Kate Scott, prompting users' fury over his unrestrained humor. The former Arsenal forward co-hosted Monday evening's ceremony at the London Palladium alongside Scott. Henry asked Yamal whether the award was the trophy he really wanted to take home. "That's your third one right?" Henry asked, with Yamal nodding in response. "But is it the one you really wanted tonight?" Lamine Yamal just laughed and said, 'No!' At this question Yamal smiles while lowering his head. Then came another question from the former striker who asked if he would prefer his question in Spanish. While some viewers brushed off the interaction as harmless banter, others accused him of bullying Yamal. In his defence, Henry posted a video, addressing the criticism he receives after the Ballon d'Or ceremony. Henry insisted that he was not trying to either humiliate and challenge the Barcelona youngster's ego and that remark was just a joke. 'I'm a big fan of Lamine Yamal. I wasn't trying to check his ego whatsoever. If you didn't like the joke, I understand,' Henry said. Clarifying his joke, Thierry Henry pointed out that Yamal had already claimed the Kopa Trophy three times before the main event. He accepted that the humor might not have appealed to everyone. But he reiterated his deep appreciation for the Barcelona winger, describing him as a player worth paying to see live. He also clarified his position regarding the exchange with Kate Scott, saying he did not show any disrespect to Scott when he corrected her pronunciation of Socrates name. The Frenchman maintained that the playful interaction with Scott was intentional and that their interaction had been misunderstood. 'Kate was in on the joke with me, and you can ask Kate, by the way. She did it on purpose to say Socrates,' Henry said. 'Please stop saying I disrespected Kate. I will never do that.' Henry also urged the netizens to stop inventing the stories and emphasised on his admiration for both stars.