Monaco turned into a full-blown celebration of football’s soul yesterday, and it had nothing to do with goals or trophies lifted on the pitch. At the Grimaldi Forum, alongside the glitz of the 2026/27 Champions League league phase draw, UEFA handed out two awards that captured everything great about this sport: one crowning a legend’s legacy, the other honoring a single act of human decency that stopped the football world in its tracks.
Thierry Henry Claims the 2026 UEFA President’s Award
Thierry Henry has been named the winner of the 2026 UEFA President’s Award, presented personally by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin during Thursday’s ceremony. Running since 1998, this award celebrates outstanding achievement and character both on and off the pitch, and Henry is a walking highlight reel of both.
Arsenal’s all-time record scorer, the architect of the Invincibles, a Champions League winner with Barcelona in 2009, and a World Cup and European champion with France, Henry finished his career with 411 goals for club and country. Ceferin described his blend of pace, grace, skill, and ice-cold finishing as the qualities of a striker for the ages, but praised Henry just as much for his life after football. As a pundit, he has become one of the most respected voices in the game, and he has consistently used his platform to speak out against racism and discrimination while supporting mental health causes. Henry now joins past winners like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Cantona, becoming the first Frenchman to win it since Cantona in 2019.
Marquinhos Wins the Brand-New Respect: Beyond the Game Award
The night’s most emotional moment, though, belonged to a player who was not even in the building. PSG captain Marquinhos was named the first-ever recipient of the UEFA Respect: Beyond the Game Award, a brand-new honor built on UEFA’s ongoing Respect campaign to celebrate gestures of kindness, dignity, and solidarity in football.
The award traces back to the final seconds of the 2026 Champions League final in Budapest. Moments after PSG beat Arsenal on penalties to retain the title, Marquinhos did not sprint off to celebrate with his teammates. Instead, he crossed the pitch to console Gabriel Magalhaes, his fellow Brazilian, whose missed spot-kick had just decided the biggest match of the season. Ceferin called it out directly, saying Marquinhos had just won the biggest trophy in European club football, yet his first instinct was to comfort an opponent at the hardest moment of his career.
Marquinhos was away preparing for PSG’s league match against Lille and could not attend in person, so club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi accepted the trophy on his behalf while a recorded message from the defender played to the room. He kept it simple and sincere, thanking UEFA for the honor and promising to keep carrying himself with respect toward teammates, opponents, and referees alike.
Two Awards, One Message
Pair these two moments together and a theme jumps straight off the stage. Henry built a legacy through relentless excellence and used his voice for good long after his boots were hung up.
Marquinhos built his in a single, unscripted gesture that had nothing to do with tactics or medals. Different journeys, same lesson: greatness in this sport was never just about what happens between the whistles.
Monaco has hosted plenty of famous nights over the years, but yesterday’s ceremony proved that even amid the glamour of a Champions League draw, football still knows how to make room for its heart.
