Thierry Henry has issued an apology for his statement during the 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast, which angered some Nigerian fans. He explained that he loves Nigeria and that his comment was a joke, which would have applied to any other team.
During the opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Henry was on the punditry team with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexi Lalas. Popular YouTuber IShowSpeed also joined them, wearing a USA shirt and Nigeria shorts. Henry commented on his outfit, saying that he needed to wear a full USA kit instead.
The Arsenal legend labeled it "bad luck", which angered some fans of the Super Eagles. Henry shared a story on his Instagram account on Saturday, June 13, explaining his comments, as he said:
"I need to clarify something because I don’t think people understand when you say stuff sometimes or when a joke is a joke. So IShowSpeed yesterday had Nigerian shorts and a US top, and I just said to him it is bad luck to break the set. It could have been the shorts of France, Italy or Spain — I would have said the same thing."
"I was just joking with him, saying it would be bad luck; not that Nigeria is bad luck, but that breaking the set is bad luck. I even said I love Naija, and I do. I have mad respect for Nigeria and the people there. There are a lot of Arsenal fans out there. Nigeria is never bad luck. I was just saying breaking the set is bad luck with any other shorts," he added.
Meanwhile, Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They hadn't featured in the tournament in 2022 either.
What did Thierry Henry say about IShowSpeed's Nigerian shorts during FIFA World Cup broadcast?
Thierry Henry was on Fox Sports during the opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. When IShowSpeed joined the panel, Zlatan Ibrahimovic pointed out that he had a US shirt on and Nigerian shorts. The YouTuber asked them what was wrong about it.
Henry then said (h/t Metro):
"I love Nigeria, but today is US for you. It is great. Nigeria is great. But that’s you bringing bad luck. You have to wear a full combo. There’s nothing wrong; I love Nigeria, but you have to wear US shorts and US shirt."
Meanwhile, Nigeria have featured six times at the FIFA World Cup, with their last appearance being in 2018. Their highest-ever finish is the Round of 16, which they have achieved thrice.