SUMMARY
- Thierry Henry is one of the best French players of all time.
- The Arsenal legend believes Kylian Mbappe has surpassed him.
Thierry Henry was one of the greatest players of his generation. The Frenchman dazzled on the soccer pitch with his lightning-quick speed and exquisite finishing. More than his skills and talent, it was his passion and aura on the soccer pitch that instilled fear in the minds of the defenders. An icon of Arsenal, Theirry Henry had wreaked havoc in the Premier League for a long time.
🚨🚨🎙️| Thierry Henry on Kylian Mbappé:
“He has already overtaken me! It’s already done. Kylian is already in the future and that’s good anyway because he’s our football and we need this guy who represents us everywhere. Kylian is extraordinary. He’s mad.” 👏🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/R5wtBoxuw2
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) March 21, 2024
However, we might be witnessing a new Thierry Henry in the form of Kylian Mbappe. The Paris Saint Germain is well and truly on the steps of the Henry, and many people have compared the likes of the two. However, Thierry Henry has come out and said that he believes that the winner between him and Mbappe has already been decided.
Thierry Henry believes Kylian Mbappe has surpassed him
Many soccer fans have facets of the former FC Barcelona player in Kylian Mbappe’s gameplay. The two are very electric players who dominate their opponents with their pace. Moreover, the two players reached the zenith of the soccer world by winning the FIFA World Cup at a very young age. Both Kylian Mbappe and Thierry Henry are excellent dribblers who have also mastered their finishing skills.
🔥🇫🇷 Thierry Henry, who will be France’s coach at the Olympics, wants to bring in Mbappé, Griezmann and Giroud as the three over 23s in his team selection. pic.twitter.com/Zli9awAI2h
— Olt Sports (@oltsport_) March 13, 2024
But it looks like Thierry Henry wants to put an end to all these comparisons, as he believes he is nowhere near Kylian’s level. The Arsenal legend has applauded Kylian for achieving so much at such a young age and believes that the 25-year-old is a better soccer player than he could ever be.
He said, “He has already overtaken me! It’s already done. Kylian is already in the future and that’s good anyway because he’s our football and we need this guy who represents us everywhere.”
🚨🚨🎙️| Thierry Henry on Kylian Mbappé:
“He has already overtaken me! It’s already done. Kylian is already in the future and that’s good anyway because he’s our football and we need this guy who represents us everywhere. Kylian is extraordinary. He’s mad.” 👏🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/R5wtBoxuw2
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) March 21, 2024
The former New York Red Bulls player has described Kylian Mbappe as an ‘extraordinary’ talent. Thierry Henry would be hoping for Kylian’s presence when he leads the French team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Statistics prove the Arsenal legend wrong
However, our research contradicts Thierry Henry’s statements. While the 46-year-old believes that the Real Madrid-bound player has surpassed his greatness, there are a lot of metrics in which Kylian Mbappe is still behind Henry. As a Frenchman, Thierry is elated to see how Kylian has been leading his club and country on the big stage. But that by no means undermines Thierry Henry’s legacy.
Until a few years ago, the 46-year-old used to be France’s all-time top scorer, until Olivier Giroud smashed the record in the FIFA World Cup 2022. This is a record that even a player like Kylian has been able to make his own. In fact, Thierry Henry has scored five more goals than the Paris Saint-Germain player. The two, however, have given the same number (30) of assists for their national teams.
One of the criticisms that Kylian Mbappe has endured in his career is that he hasn’t achieved anything outside of France. Thierry Henry is certainly an exception here, as he has won league titles in Spain, England, and France.
Thierry Henry also won a UEFA Champions League with FC Barcelona in the 2008/09 season, something that Kylian Mbappe hasn’t been able to achieve with Paris Saint-Germain. Besides, Thierry Henry has also won more Soccer Player of the Year awards (8) than Kylian Mbappe (3).
However, it has to be considered that the Paris Saint-Germain player is still only halfway through his career. Even though Kylian’s overall career goal of 323 is marginally short of Henry’s 360, given his young age, the 25-year-old will surely break Thierry’s records.
Moreover, Kylian Mbappe has scored 46 goals for his national team in less than 80 games and is poised to become France’s all-time top scorer before he hangs his boots. Mbappe is well and truly a generational talent who will lead France’s new generation in the coming years.