French football icon Thierry Henry has shifted his focus to rugby as France prepares for their Six Nations match this weekend.
Les Bleus are scheduled to play Ireland in Dublin on Saturday. The Arsenal legend visited the team camp to offer support before they traveled.
Henry has prior experience defeating Ireland, notably in a controversial World Cup qualifier in 2009.
Late in extra time of the second leg, with the score tied 1-1, Henry used his hand to control the ball in the penalty area before passing to William Gallas, who scored the decisive goal.
Henry has since described this handball incident as a career low, stating, “It’s true I regret it, which is why I personally spoke to each Irish player afterwards.”
“Following the game, there were no celebrations, not even in the locker room.”
Despite the past controversy, Henry is now sharing his experiences of overcoming Ireland with the French rugby team.
Pictures on France Rugby’s X profile show him meeting the team and receiving a signed jersey.
The social media post thanked Henry for “inspiring moments of sharing” with the team.
A France Rugby Instagram post also captured Henry interacting with players and staff, including Antoine Dupont, Yoram Moefana, and coach Fabien Galthié.
Henry addressed the entire team and also engaged in smaller group discussions.
A victory for France this Saturday would propel them to the top of the Six Nations table, despite their earlier loss to England.
However, Ireland is aiming for a Six Nations Grand Slam, having won all their matches so far against Wales, Scotland, and England.
Henry is celebrated as one of France’s greatest athletes, having won the World Cup and European Championship with his nation, alongside numerous club titles.
Last summer, he coached the French Olympic Football team to a silver medal, losing to Spain in the final.
Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta was the tournament’s top scorer under Henry, with six goals in five games.
