Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has moved to clear up controversy surrounding remarks he made about Nigeria during the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting his comments were misunderstood and never intended as a slight against the country.
The former France international was speaking with popular streamer iShowSpeed ahead of the Group D clash between the United States and Paraguay, which ended in a commanding 4-1 victory for the Americans.
Speed arrived at the stadium wearing a USA shirt paired with Nigerian shorts, prompting Henry to jokingly describe the combination as “bad luck”.
The comment quickly sparked reactions online, with some viewers interpreting it as a dig at Nigeria.
However, Henry has now explained that he was referring only to the superstition of mixing kits from different teams.
“I needed to clarify something because I don’t think people understand when you say stuff sometimes or when a joke is a joke,” Henry said on social media.
“I just said to him that 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.”
The former Arsenal striker stressed that he has great admiration for Nigeria and its people.
“I even said that I love Naija. And by the way, I do. I have respect for Nigeria and the people there. A lot of Arsenal fans are out there, so don’t misunderstand that stuff, please.
“Nigeria is never bad luck. I was just saying that breaking the set is bad luck with any other shorts.”
Henry’s clarification has helped calm concerns among Nigerian football fans, many of whom hold the former Gunners star in high regard.
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