Thierry Henry facts for kids
![]() Henry in 2021
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Thierry Daniel Henry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 17 August 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Les Ulis, France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1983–1989 | CO Les Ulis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1989–1990 | US Palaiseau | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1990–1992 | Viry-Châtillon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1990–1992 | INF Clairefontaine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1992–1994 | Monaco | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1994–1995 | Monaco B | 19 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1994–1999 | Monaco | 105 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1999 | Juventus | 16 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1999–2007 | Arsenal | 254 | (174) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007–2010 | Barcelona | 80 | (35) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2010–2014 | New York Red Bulls | 122 | (51) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | → Arsenal (loan) | 4 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | 600 | (290) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1997 | France U20 | 5 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1997–2010 | France | 123 | (51) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2018–2019 | Monaco | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019–2021 | Montreal Impact | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2023–2024 | France U21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2024 | France Olympic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Thierry Daniel Henry (born 17 August 1977) is a French football coach, TV expert, and former player. Many people think he is one of the best football players ever. He is especially known as the greatest player in Premier League history. Henry was famous for scoring amazing goals, his speed, and his clever dribbling.
He was a top player, coming in second for the Ballon d'Or award in 2003. He also finished second for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2003 and 2004. Henry won the FWA Footballer of the Year award three times, which is a record. He also won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award twice. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé included Henry in his FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.
Henry started his professional career with Monaco in 1994. He then joined Juventus in Italy. In 1999, he moved to Arsenal in England for about £11 million. At Arsenal, his old coach Arsène Wenger helped him become a fantastic striker. Henry became Arsenal's all-time leading scorer with 228 goals. He is often seen as Arsenal's best player ever. With Arsenal, he won the Premier League Golden Boot four times, three FA Cups, and two Premier League titles. One of these titles was in the unbeaten Invincible season. Henry was Arsenal's captain for his last two seasons there. He led them to the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final.
In 2007, Henry moved to Barcelona. In the 2008–09 season, he helped the club win a historic treble. They won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. In 2010, he joined the Major League Soccer (MLS) team New York Red Bulls. He also returned to Arsenal for a short loan in 2012. Henry retired from playing football in 2014.
Henry also had great success with the French national team. He won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000, and the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was named French Player of the Year a record five times. In October 2007, he became France's top goalscorer. He held this record until December 2022. After playing 123 games and scoring 51 goals, Henry retired from international football after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
After retiring as a player, Henry became a coach. He started coaching Arsenal's youth teams in 2015. In 2016, he became an assistant coach for the Belgium national team. He then became the head coach at Monaco in 2018. After leaving Monaco, he managed Montréal Impact in MLS. He led Montréal to the playoffs in 2020. He returned to Belgium as an assistant coach for a year and a half. From August 2023 to August 2024, Henry managed the France national under-21 team and the France Olympic team. He led the Olympic team to a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Games.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Henry's family comes from the French West Indies. His father, Antoine, is from Guadeloupe, and his mother, Maryse, is from Martinique. He was born and grew up in Les Ulis, a suburb of Paris. This area had good football facilities.
When Henry was seven, he showed great talent. A local club, CO Les Ulis, recruited him. His father encouraged him to train, even though Henry wasn't always super keen on football. He later joined US Palaiseau in 1989. After a year, he moved to ES Viry-Châtillon and played there for two years. His future mentor, Jean-Marie Panza, followed him to Viry-Châtillon.
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out at Monaco and Juventus
In 1990, a scout from Monaco watched Henry play. Henry was only 13 at the time. He scored all six goals in a 6–0 win for his team. The scout immediately asked him to join Monaco. Henry also completed a course at the famous INF Clairefontaine academy. He then joined Arsène Wenger's Monaco as a youth player.
Henry signed his first professional contract with Monaco. He played his first professional game on 31 August 1994. Wenger thought Henry would be a great striker. However, he played Henry on the left wing at first. He believed Henry's speed and ball control would be more effective there.
After a slow start, Henry was named the French Young Footballer of the Year in 1996. In the 1996–97 season, his strong performances helped Monaco win the Ligue 1 title. During the 1997–98 season, he helped his club reach the UEFA Champions League semi-final. He scored seven goals in that competition, setting a French record at the time. By his third season, he was playing for the national team. He was part of the team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup. In his five seasons with Monaco, Henry scored 20 league goals in 105 games.
Henry left Monaco in January 1999 and moved to the Italian club Juventus. He played on the wing there. However, he struggled to score goals, getting only three in 16 games. He later said that disagreements with the club's director led to his departure.
Arsenal: Becoming a Star

Henry moved from Juventus to Arsenal on 3 August 1999. He reunited with his old manager Arsène Wenger. At Arsenal, Henry became a world-class footballer. Wenger quickly changed him into a striker, which turned out to be a brilliant move.
At first, people wondered if he could adapt to the fast English game. He didn't score in his first eight games. Henry even admitted he had to "be re-taught everything about the art of striking." But he soon proved them wrong. He finished his first season with an impressive 26 goals. Arsenal finished second in the Premier League. They also lost in the UEFA Cup Final to Galatasaray.
After winning UEFA Euro 2000 with France, Henry was ready for the 2000–01 season. He became Arsenal's top goalscorer. One of his most famous goals was against Manchester United. He flicked the ball up with his back to goal, then turned and volleyed it in from 20 yards. Arsenal finished second in the league again. They also reached the FA Cup final, losing to Liverpool. Henry wanted to win trophies for Arsenal.
Success finally came in the 2001–02 season. Arsenal won the Premier League title. They also beat Chelsea 2–0 in the FA Cup Final. Henry was the league's top goalscorer. He scored 32 goals in all competitions, helping Arsenal win the "double."
The 2002–03 season was another great one for Henry. He scored 32 goals and made 23 assists. He helped Arsenal win another FA Cup. He was named both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year. He also came second for the 2003 FIFA World Player of the Year award. With 24 goals and 20 assists in the league, Henry set a new record for assists in a Premier League season. He was the first player to get at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a top European league.

In the 2003–04 season, Arsenal wanted to win the Premier League again. Henry was key to their amazing season. Arsenal became the first team in over a century to go through an entire domestic league season unbeaten. They won the league title. Henry won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards again. He also finished second for the 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award. He scored 39 goals in all competitions and won the European Golden Shoe.
Arsenal didn't win the league in the 2004–05 season. However, they did win the FA Cup, though Henry missed the final due to injury. Henry was still one of Europe's best strikers. He was the league's top scorer and won the European Golden Boot again. He was the first player to officially win the award twice in a row. When Arsenal's captain Patrick Vieira left in 2005, Henry became the new club captain. This was a big responsibility, as he had to lead a young team.
The 2005–06 season was full of personal achievements for Henry. On 17 October 2005, he became Arsenal's all-time top goalscorer. He broke Ian Wright's record of 185 goals. On 1 February 2006, he broke Cliff Bastin's league goals record for Arsenal. Henry scored his 100th league goal at Highbury, which was a unique achievement. On the last day of the Premier League season, he scored three goals in the final match played at Highbury. He finished the season as the league's top goalscorer. He was also voted FWA Footballer of the Year for the third time.
Arsenal didn't win the Premier League title again. But they reached the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. They lost 2–1 to Barcelona. Henry assisted Arsenal's only goal. Many people thought Henry would leave Arsenal. But he said he loved the club and signed a new four-year contract. Arsenal's vice-chairman said the club had turned down two £50 million offers for Henry.
Henry's 2006–07 season was affected by injuries. He scored 10 goals in 17 league games. But his season ended early in February due to groin and stomach injuries. He missed the rest of the season.
Barcelona: Winning the Treble
On 25 June 2007, Henry moved to Barcelona for €24 million. He signed a four-year deal. Henry said he left Arsenal because a key club official left and there was uncertainty about Wenger's future. He always said he would only leave Arsenal to play for Barcelona. Henry believed his departure might have helped Arsenal. He felt that because he was captain, players sometimes passed to him even when he wasn't in the best position. Arsenal fans voted him their greatest player ever in 2008.
At Barcelona, Henry wore the number 14 jersey. He scored his first goal for Barcelona on 19 September 2007. He scored his first three goals (a hat-trick) for Barça ten days later. Henry mostly played on the wing at Barcelona. He didn't score as many goals as he did at Arsenal. He was not happy at first and there were rumors he might return to England. However, he finished his first season as the club's top scorer with 19 goals.

Henry scored even more in the 2008–09 season. He got 26 goals and 10 assists from the left wing. He won his first trophy with Barcelona on 13 May 2009. Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final. Barcelona then won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. This completed a historic treble for Henry. He, Lionel Messi, and Samuel Eto'o scored 100 goals together that season. Later in 2009, Henry helped Barcelona win an amazing six trophies in one year.
In the next season, Henry played fewer games. Before the season ended, Barcelona's president said Henry might leave. After the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Barcelona confirmed Henry was being sold.
New York Red Bulls and Retirement

In July 2010, Henry signed with the Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York Red Bulls. He made his MLS debut on 31 July. He assisted both goals in a 2–2 draw. His first MLS goal came on 28 August. The Red Bulls finished first in their conference.
Return to Arsenal (loan)
Henry trained with Arsenal during the MLS off-season. He then re-signed for the club on a two-month loan deal on 6 January 2012. This was to cover for other players who were away. Henry wore the number 12 jersey. He made his second Arsenal debut as a substitute against Leeds United in the FA Cup. He scored the only goal in that game. In his last league game on loan, he scored the winning goal against Sunderland. He finished his Arsenal career with a record 228 goals.
Return to New York Red Bulls
On 17 February 2012, Henry returned to the Red Bulls. His salary made him the highest-paid player in MLS at the time. On 31 March 2012, Henry scored his first MLS hat-trick. He was named MLS Player of the Month that same month. On 27 October 2013, Henry helped his team win the regular season championship. It was the club's first major trophy in 17 years.
On 12 July 2014, Henry became the all-time assist leader for the New York Red Bulls. He had 37 assists. On 1 December 2014, Henry left the Red Bulls. On 16 December, he announced he was retiring as a player. He then started working for Sky Sports as a football expert. He left Sky Sports in July 2018 to focus on coaching.
International Career with France
Henry had a very successful career with the French national team. He played his first game for France in June 1997. He was called up to the senior team after playing well for Monaco. The French coach was so impressed that he took Henry to the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Henry was not well-known internationally, but he ended the tournament as France's top scorer with three goals. France won the final, beating Brazil 3–0. Henry was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour, France's highest award, in 1998.
Henry was part of France's UEFA Euro 2000 team. He scored three goals, including the goal against Portugal in the semi-final. France won that game and went on to beat Italy in the final. This earned Henry his second major international medal. He was named man of the match in three games, including the final.
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was a tough one for Henry and France. The defending champions were knocked out in the group stage. They failed to score a single goal. Henry received a red card in their second match.
Henry played well for France at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. France won the tournament, largely thanks to Henry's great play. In the final, he scored the winning goal in extra time against Cameroon. Henry won the Golden Ball as the best player and the Golden Shoe as the top goalscorer.
In UEFA Euro 2004, Henry played in all of France's matches and scored two goals. France lost to the eventual winners Greece in the quarter-finals. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Henry was a key player. He scored three goals, including the winning goal against defending champions Brazil in the quarter-final. However, France lost to Italy in the final after a penalty shoot-out. Henry was one of the top players of the tournament.
On 13 October 2007, Henry scored his 41st goal for France. This made him the country's joint top goalscorer with Michel Platini. Four days later, he scored two more goals, setting a new record as France's top goalscorer. On 3 June 2008, Henry played his 100th game for the national team.
Henry missed the first game of France's UEFA Euro 2008 campaign. France was knocked out in the group stages. He scored France's only goal in the tournament.
The French team struggled during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In a play-off game against the Republic of Ireland in November 2009, Henry was involved in a controversial moment. He used his hand to control the ball before passing it for the winning goal. This caused a lot of criticism. FIFA later said there was no legal reason to punish Henry.
Henry did not start for France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. France had a difficult tournament and were eliminated in the group stage. Henry then announced his retirement from international football. He finished his international career as France's all-time top scorer with 51 goals.
How Thierry Henry Played
When Henry was young, he played as a striker. But at Monaco and Juventus, he played on the wing. When he joined Arsenal, Wenger moved him back to striker. He often played alongside Dennis Bergkamp. Later, Henry played as a lone striker. He was still Arsenal's main attacking player, scoring many amazing goals. Wenger said Henry could score goals that "no one else in the world could score."
Henry was great at scoring when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper. His father said Henry learned to shoot precisely by watching his idol Marco van Basten. He was also inspired by other strikers who could run with the ball from outside the penalty area. In his best years, Henry could dribble past defenders with incredible speed and skill. Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith said Henry was "an athlete with great technical ability."

Henry often moved to the left wing, which helped him create many assists. Between 2002 and 2005, he made almost 50 assists. This showed his unselfish play and creativity. FourFourTwo magazine called him the greatest player in Premier League history. They said, "No one assisted more in a season. No one has terrorised defenders with such a combination of bewitching grace and phenomenal power."
Henry's famous way of scoring was to cut in from the left and place the ball into the far right corner of the goal. He was also good at beating the offside trap. Henry was not a typical "out-and-out striker" because he could play as both a winger and a striker. He was also Arsenal's first choice for penalties and free kicks. Henry was also known for a "no-look pass," where he would pretend to pass with one foot but use the other.
Coaching Career
Coaching Arsenal Youth Teams
Henry started coaching Arsenal's youth teams in February 2015. He also worked as a TV expert for Sky Sports. Players like Alex Iwobi praised Henry's help. Henry earned a coaching license and was offered the under-18 coach job. However, Arsène Wenger wanted a full-time coach.
Assistant Coach for Belgium
In August 2016, Henry became the second assistant coach for the Belgium national team. He worked with head coach Roberto Martínez. Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku praised Henry, saying he was "the best thing that has happened to me." At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Belgium reached the semi-final but lost to France. Henry won a Bronze medal as Belgium finished third.
Henry was offered the head coach job at Bordeaux in August 2018 but turned it down. He was then promoted to Belgium assistant coach. However, he soon left to become head coach at his former club, Monaco.
Managing Monaco
On 11 October 2018, Monaco fired their manager. Henry was appointed as the new Monaco manager two days later. He signed a three-year deal. At his first press conference, he said, "This club will always have a big place in my heart." He also said there was "a lot of work to do."
Henry's arrival at Monaco had mixed reactions because he was new to top-level coaching. He wanted his team to play like Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. He also wanted to bring the "professionalism" he learned from Arsène Wenger. Henry was very involved in training sessions. His first match was a 2–1 loss. He didn't win a game for over a month. He finally got a win on 25 November. In January 2019, Henry signed new players like Cesc Fàbregas. However, the team's results didn't improve. On 24 January, Henry was fired from Monaco. He had a record of 4 wins, 5 draws, and 11 losses in 20 games.
Managing Montreal Impact
On 14 November 2019, Henry became the manager of the MLS team Montreal Impact. He signed a two-year deal. Henry said he had to "confront" his difficult time at Monaco before taking this new job.
Henry led Montreal to their first playoff spot in four seasons. On 25 February 2021, he stepped down as head coach of CF Montréal. He wanted to be closer to his children in London. He couldn't see them in 2020 due to travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Return to Belgium (assistant)
In May 2021, Henry rejoined Belgium's coaching staff for UEFA Euro 2020. He was also part of the team's coaching staff for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In February 2023, it was announced that Henry would not return to Belgium's coaching staff.
Coaching France U21 and Olympic Teams
On 21 August 2023, Henry was named the new manager of the France national under-21 team. This also meant he would coach the France Olympic team at the 2024 Summer Games. He led the Olympic team to a silver medal, losing to Spain in the final. He resigned as coach on 19 August 2024.
Life Outside Football
Media and Broadcasting
After leaving Montreal, Henry continued his work as a football expert. He joined CBS Sports for their UEFA Champions League coverage in September 2021. He also worked for Amazon Prime Video as a consultant for their football programs.
Personal Life
Henry married English model Nicole Merry in 2003. They had a daughter in 2005. They divorced in 2007. Henry has been with his second wife, Andrea Rajačić, since 2011. They have three children together. In January 2024, Henry shared that he had struggled with depression throughout his career.
Love for Basketball
Henry is a big fan of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He often watches games with his friend Tony Parker. Henry said he likes basketball because it's similar to football in its speed and excitement. He has attended the NBA Finals many times.
TV Appearances
Henry has made small appearances in movies and TV shows. He had a cameo in the 2015 film Entourage. He also appeared as himself in the Apple TV+ football comedy series Ted Lasso. Henry was also featured in the Amazon Original sports show All or Nothing: Arsenal. This show followed Arsenal behind the scenes during their 2021–22 season.
Helping Others
Henry is a member of the UNICEF-FIFA team. He appeared in TV ads during the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. In these ads, players promoted football as a game for children.
Henry has experienced racism. He actively speaks out against it. In 2004, a Spanish coach was caught on TV making racist comments about Henry. This caused a big reaction. Henry and Nike started the Stand Up Speak Up campaign against racism in football. In 2007, Time magazine included him in their list of the 100 most influential people.
Henry also took part in FIFA's "Live for Love United" in 2002. The money from this song went to AIDS research. Henry also supports charities for Cystic Fibrosis. He has played in charity football games for different causes. In June 2018, he played with his 1998 World Cup-winning teammates in a charity game.
Commercial Deals
Henry has signed many endorsement deals and appeared in commercials. In 2006, he was one of the most marketable footballers.
Sportswear
Early in his career, Henry signed with Nike. He was in Nike's "Secret Tournament" ad before the 2002 World Cup. In a 2004 ad, Henry played football in his bedroom and living room. This was inspired by Henry himself, who always kept a football nearby. He also featured in Nike's Joga Bonito campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
After 2006, Henry signed a deal with Reebok. He was part of their "I Am What I Am" campaign. In 2011, Henry switched to Puma boots.
Other Brands
Henry was in Renault Clio advertisements. He made the phrase va-va-voom popular, which means "life" or "passion." This phrase was even added to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.
In 2007, Henry became one of three global ambassadors for Gillette's "Champions Program." He appeared with Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. Henry was also part of Pepsi's "Dare For More" campaign in 2005. He starred in a 2014 ad for Beats headphones with other football stars.
Henry was on the cover of EA Sports' FIFA video game series from FIFA 2001 to FIFA 2005. He was also a cover star for the Konami Pro Evolution Soccer video game series.
Other Interests
In August 2022, the Italian football club Como announced that Henry had joined them as an investor.
Career Statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Monaco B | 1994–95 | CFA | 19 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 6 | ||||
Monaco | 1994–95 | Division 1 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 3 | |
1995–96 | Division 1 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 22 | 3 | ||
1996–97 | Division 1 | 36 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | — | 48 | 10 | ||
1997–98 | Division 1 | 30 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 7 | — | 44 | 11 | ||
1998–99 | Division 1 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 19 | 1 | ||
Total | 105 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 8 | — | 141 | 28 | |||
Juventus | 1998–99 | Serie A | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 3 | |
1999–2000 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Total | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 3 | |||
Arsenal | 1999–2000 | Premier League | 31 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 8 | — | 48 | 26 | |
2000–01 | Premier League | 35 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4 | — | 53 | 22 | ||
2001–02 | Premier League | 33 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 7 | — | 49 | 32 | ||
2002–03 | Premier League | 37 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 32 | |
2003–04 | Premier League | 37 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 51 | 39 | |
2004–05 | Premier League | 32 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 30 | |
2005–06 | Premier League | 32 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 33 | |
2006–07 | Premier League | 17 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 27 | 12 | ||
Total | 254 | 174 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 85 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 370 | 226 | ||
Barcelona | 2007–08 | La Liga | 30 | 12 | 7 | 4 | — | 10 | 3 | — | 47 | 19 | ||
2008–09 | La Liga | 29 | 19 | 1 | 1 | — | 12 | 6 | — | 42 | 26 | |||
2009–10 | La Liga | 21 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 4 | ||
Total | 80 | 35 | 9 | 5 | — | 28 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 121 | 49 | |||
New York Red Bulls | 2010 | Major League Soccer | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2 | ||
2011 | Major League Soccer | 26 | 14 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 29 | 15 | |||
2012 | Major League Soccer | 25 | 15 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 27 | 15 | |||
2013 | Major League Soccer | 30 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 32 | 10 | |||
2014 | Major League Soccer | 30 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 35 | 10 | ||
Total | 122 | 51 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 135 | 52 | |||
Arsenal (loan) | 2011–12 | Premier League | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 2 | |
Career total | 600 | 290 | 41 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 139 | 59 | 23 | 2 | 813 | 366 |
International
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
France | 1997 | 1 | 0 |
1998 | 10 | 3 | |
1999 | 0 | 0 | |
2000 | 14 | 5 | |
2001 | 7 | 3 | |
2002 | 10 | 3 | |
2003 | 14 | 11 | |
2004 | 13 | 3 | |
2005 | 6 | 3 | |
2006 | 16 | 8 | |
2007 | 6 | 5 | |
2008 | 11 | 4 | |
2009 | 9 | 3 | |
2010 | 6 | 0 | |
Total | 123 | 51 |
Note
Includes one appearance from the match against FIFA XI on 16 August 2000 which FIFA and the French Football Federation count as an official friendly match.
Managerial
Team | From | To | Record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | Ref. | |||
Monaco | 13 October 2018 | 24 January 2019 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 36 | −21 | 20.00 | |
Montreal Impact | 14 November 2019 | 25 February 2021 | 29 | 9 | 4 | 16 | 38 | 50 | −12 | 31.03 | |
France U21 | 21 August 2023 | 19 August 2024 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 7 | +12 | 66.67 | |
France Olympic | 18 March 2024 | 9 August 2024 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 31 | 12 | +19 | 72.73 | |
Total | 66 | 25 | 11 | 30 | 103 | 105 | −2 | 37.88 |
Honours and Achievements
Player

Monaco
- Division 1: 1996–97
Arsenal
- Premier League: 2001–02, 2003–04
- FA Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004-05
- FA Community Shield: 2002, 2004
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2005–06
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 1999–2000
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09
- Supercopa de España: 2009
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009
New York Red Bulls
- Supporters' Shield: 2013
- MLS Eastern Conference: 2010, 2013
France U20
- Toulon Tournament: 1997
France
- FIFA World Cup: 1998; runner-up: 2006
- UEFA European Championship: 2000
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2003
Individual Awards
- Ballon d'Or runner-up: 2003; third-place: 2006
- FIFA World Player of the Year silver award: 2003, 2004
- European Golden Shoe: 2003–04, 2004–05
- Onze d'Or: 2003, 2006
- UEFA Euro 2000 final: Man of the Match
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006
- FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball: 2003
- FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Shoe: 2003
- UNFP Division 1 Young Player of the Year: 1996–97
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2002–03, 2003–04
- PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2002–03, 2003–04
- PFA Team of the Year: 2000–01 Premier League, 2001–02 Premier League, 2002–03 Premier League, 2003–04 Premier League, 2004–05 Premier League, 2005–06 Premier League
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06
- Premier League Player of the Season: 2003–04, 2005–06
- Premier League Golden Boot: 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06
- Most assists in the Premier League: 2002–03
- Golden Boot Landmark Award 10: 2004–05
- Golden Boot Landmark Award 20: 2004–05
- Premier League Player of the Month: April 2000, September 2002, January 2004, April 2004
- Arsenal Player of the Season: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005
- BBC Goal of the Season: 2002–03
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
- MLS Best XI: 2011, 2012, 2014
- MLS Player of the Month: March 2012
- Best MLS Player ESPY Award: 2013
- MLS All-Star: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
- French Player of the Year: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer of the Year: 2003
- FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2006
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2000
- FIFA 100: 2004
- Time 100 Heroes & Pioneers no.16: 2007
- English Football Hall of Fame: 2008
- Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 – 2001–02):
- Overseas Team of the Decade
- Premier League 20 Seasons Awards:
- Fantasy Team (Panel choice)
- Fantasy Team (Public choice)
- UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (published 2015)
- UEFA Euro All-time XI (published 2016)
- Ballon d'Or Dream Team (Bronze): 2020
- Premier League Hall of Fame: 2021
Orders
Manager
France Olympic
- Summer Olympics silver medal: 2024
Records
Arsenal Records
- All-time top scorer: 228 goals
- Most league goals: 175 goals
- Most European goals: 42
- Most Champions League goals: 35
- Most Premier League goals in a season: 30 (2003–04) (shared with Robin van Persie)
- Most Premier League hat-tricks: 8
- Most European appearances: 86
- Most Champions League appearances: 78
- Most Arsenal Player of the Season Awards: 4
Continental Records
- Most European Golden Shoe wins while playing in England: 2 (2003–04, 2004–05)
- One of five players to win back-to-back European Golden Shoes (shared with Ally McCoist, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski)
- Only French player to win the European Golden Shoe
England Records
- Most FWA Footballer of the Year wins: 3 (2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06)
- Most consecutive FWA Footballer of the Year wins: 2 (2002–03, 2003–04) (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo)
- Most consecutive PFA Players' Player of the Year wins: 2 (2002–03, 2003–04) (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin De Bruyne)
- Most PFA Players' Player of the Year wins: 2 (2002–03, 2003–04) (shared with Gareth Bale, Alan Shearer, Mark Hughes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah)
France Records
- Most French Player of the Year wins: 5 (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
- Most consecutive French Player of the Year wins: 4 (2003–2006)
- Most appearances at World Cup final tournaments for France: 4 (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010) (shared with Hugo Lloris)
Premier League Records
- Most assists in a season: 20 (2002–03) (shared with Kevin De Bruyne)
- Most goals with right foot in a 38-game season: 24 (2005–06) (shared with Alan Shearer)
- Most Player of the Season awards: 2 (2003–04, 2005–06) (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidić and Kevin De Bruyne)
- Most goals in London derbies: 43
- Most Golden Boot wins: 4 (2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06) (shared with Mohamed Salah)
- Most goals on a Friday: 10
- Most consecutive 20+ goal seasons: 5 (2001–02 to 2004–05) (shared with Sergio Agüero)
- Most goals scored under one manager: 175 goals under Arsène Wenger
- Most goals at a single ground: 114 goals at Highbury
- Most direct free kick goals by a foreign player: 12 (shared with Gianfranco Zola and Cristiano Ronaldo)
- Most Golden Boots won in consecutive years: 3 (shared with Alan Shearer)
- Only player to both score and assist 20+ goals in a season (2002–03)
See also
In Spanish: Thierry Henry para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances
- List of top international men's football goalscorers by country
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals