Over the years, Arsene Wenger has proven he knows more than a thing or two about football. Sure, he's had some questionable takes on ways the beautiful game should be developed following his departure as manager of Arsenal, but for the most part, he's usually right on the money with his takes on the sport.
He was a genius who helped revolutionise the manner in which football was played in England and it wouldn't be in the shape it's in right now if it wasn't for the iconic Frenchman. He led the Gunners to multiple Premier League titles, including their iconic undefeated campaign during 2003/04 with a team that was dubbed the 'Invincibles' after.
As a result, his opinion on football holds a lot of weight and he once revealed that he thought one of his former players was on the same level as Diego Maradona and Pele. Not only that, but he couldn't believe the star had never won the Ballon d'Or award.
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Wenger Thinks Thierry Henry Deserved a Ballon d'Or Trophy
The Frenchman thinks his former player was on Pele's level
Thierry Henry Arsenal
During his career as a manager, Wenger got to work with and coach some of the world's greatest players. He had players like Patrick Vieira, Sol Campbell and Cesc Fabregas on the books during his stint at Arsenal, but the best player he ever managed was undoubtedly Thierry Henry.
The French striker is considered the greatest player in Premier League history and the work he did with the Gunners ensured he's regarded as a legend for the team. Arriving at Highbury as a winger, Wenger converted the star into a more central role and he flourished as a striker. Henry moved with grace and scored goals for fun during his time in North London, hitting the back of the net 228 times in 377 appearances for Arsenal. He was so good, in fact, that his ex-manager thought he was on the same level as two of football's greatest ever players in Maradona and Pele.
Thierry Henry career statistics
Team
France
Monaco
Juventus
Arsenal
Barcelona
New York Red Bulls
Total
Not only that, but Wenger thought it was absurd that Henry never managed to win the Ballon d'Or during his illustrious career. Talking about the icon, as quoted by Sky Sports, he said:
"Yes, I believe Thierry is on the same level as those two, definitely. I don't understand why he hasn't won European Player of the Year. Maybe it's because the people voting don't analyse what a player has achieved over a long period."
Henry's best chance of winning the prize came in 2003 when he finished as runner-up. He fell short, with Pavel Nedved being awarded the Ballon d'Or ahead of him. Despite recording 60 goal contributions that year in comparison to Nedved's 31, many think the Frenchman was robbed that year. You won't hear that from Henry, though, who issued a classy response about the incident when asked about it years later.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 15/06/2025