Former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry has come under criticism for his conduct towards Kate Scott, his co presenter during the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony in London.

The ceremony, held at the London Palladium on Monday night, saw Henry and Scott jointly host the prestigious event. However, the former Barcelona and Arsenal forward’s interactions with his co presenter attracted attention after he appeared to correct her pronunciation of the name Socrates.

Henry’s remarks reportedly came early in the two hour ceremony, during which he also made comments to Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal about missing out on the Ballon d’Or.

Yamal finished third in the voting behind France captain Kylian Mbappe and eventual winner Harry Kane, who claimed the award after an impressive campaign.

However, it was Henry’s exchange with Scott over the pronunciation of Socrates that prompted a strong reaction from Andrew Downie, a Scottish author and Brazilian football specialist.

Downie, who wrote the book Doctor Socrates: Footballer, Philosopher, Legend, criticised Henry’s approach and insisted that Scott had pronounced the name correctly.

Reacting to the incident on social media platform X, Downie accused the former France international of being disrespectful and getting the pronunciation issue wrong.

“Thierry Henry is rude and incorrect. She pronounced it properly. I know, I wrote a whole book about the man,” Downie posted.

Socrates was a legendary Brazilian footballer renowned for his intelligence, leadership and influence both on and off the pitch. His name is associated with the award recognising footballers who have made significant contributions to humanitarian causes.

Downie’s response suggested that his familiarity with the Brazilian football icon and his extensive research for the biography informed his criticism of Henry’s intervention.

Henry, widely regarded as one of the finest forwards of his generation, has enjoyed a successful career as both a player and a football pundit. However, his conduct during the ceremony became a talking point beyond the awards themselves.

The incident added to the discussions surrounding the event, which celebrated the achievements of leading footballers and coaches while also drawing attention to moments involving its presenters.

Neither further details of the exchange nor any additional response from Henry were included in the report.

Galaxy Sports Production