He didn't get it, Henry explains his comment to Lamine Yamal at the gala

Lamine Yamal was once again one of the standout stars at the Ballon d’Or ceremony. The Barcelona forward won the Kopa Trophy for the world’s best young footballer for the third consecutive year and also finished third in the Ballon d’Or voting, behind Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane, who took home the top prize in London.

The moment that sparked debate came when Lamine stepped onto the Palladium stage to collect his trophy. At that point, Thierry Henry asked him whether that was the trophy he really wanted to win, referring to the main award, which would be presented shortly afterward and for which the forward was among the favorites. The player responded calmly: he said he wanted to win them all, but admitted he would have liked his teammate Cubarsí to take home the Kopa Trophy. The exchange sparked controversy among those who felt the question was needlessly provocative.

Following the reaction, Henry clarified the situation and described himself as a genuine fan of the youngster. The former striker explained that he understood why some people had not appreciated the comment, but urged them not to blow it out of proportion. He said he admired Lamine enormously, calling him one of the few footballers he would pay to watch in person, and stressed that he had only intended to joke with him before the winner of the top prize was announced.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 FRANCK FIFE - AFP or licensors