Tag: Thierry Henry

New York has honored two footballing greats by temporarily renaming streets after Thierry Henry and Pele ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 kickoff, according to the City Council.

The tournament, co-hosted by the United States of America (USA), Canada and Mexico, begins Thursday, and the final will be played next month at the MetLife Stadium, rebranded as the New York New Jersey Stadium, just outside the city.

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Crowds gathered at West 50th Street and 6th Avenue in downtown Manhattan to mark the unveiling of “Thierry Henry Way” by officials, according to videos posted to social media on Wednesday.

“Today, New York City honoured one of the greatest to ever play the game,” New York City Council Member Virginia Maloney wrote on Instagram.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona star, who was a member of the France squad that won the 1998 World Cup, said in a recorded message on Instagram, “I can’t wait to walk around there the next time I go to Rockefeller Center or Radio City Music Hall.”

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The 48-year-old raised his profile in the United States after spending five seasons with the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer (MLS) until 2014.

The city has also renamed the intersection of Shea Road and Meridian Road, in the Queens borough, after Brazilian legend Pele, according to the New York City Council website. The street names will stay in place until November 1.

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Thierry Henry has decided to step down from his role as coach of the France under-21 football team, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced Monday.

Former France international Henry made the decision after guiding the under-23 side to a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The all-time leading goalscorer for Premier League giants Arsenal took over as coach of the French youth side last summer and was under contract until June 2025 but decided to step away for “personal reasons”, according to the FFF.

Henry oversaw Les Bleuets’ first run to the final of an Olympic men’s tournament after winning gold in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

His young side eventually went down 5-3 after extra time against Spain to end a promising run that had started inauspiciously after Henry was obliged to make several changes to his squad pre-tournament due to the refusal of certain clubs to release their players for the Games.

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“I would like to thank the FFF and President Philippe Diallo for giving me this incredible opportunity,” said Henry, 47, in an FFF statement.

“Winning an Olympic silver medal for my country will remain one of the proudest moments of my life. I’m incredibly grateful to the federation, the players, the staff and the fans for giving me this magical experience.”

Federation boss Diallo thanked the 1998 World Cup winner for “all the work he accomplished as coach of the Espoirs (under-21s) and Olympic sides”.

“We obviously regret this decision, as Thierry Henry was able to achieve the objectives set for him by winning a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris,” he added.

“Having followed him throughout this campaign, I witnessed first-hand his great professionalism, his rigour and his love for the blue jersey.”

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