French football legend Thierry Henry has moved to clarify remarks he made involving Nigeria during the United States’ opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following reactions from football fans online.
The incident happened during the United States’ emphatic 4-1 victory over Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium, where Henry was serving as a television pundit.
During the live broadcast, popular American content creator IShowSpeed appeared wearing a United States jersey paired with Nigerian Super Eagles shorts. Reacting playfully to the unusual combination, Henry joked that mixing the outfits was “bad luck.”
Moments later, Paraguay pulled one goal back after trailing by three goals, causing many viewers to link Henry’s comment directly to Nigeria and interpret it as disrespectful to the Super Eagles.
The remark quickly gained attention across social media, with several Nigerian football supporters criticising the former Arsenal and Barcelona striker.
Responding to the backlash, Henry explained that his statement was meant purely as humour and had nothing to do with Nigeria or its national team.
According to him, the joke was simply about combining kits from different countries and would have been the same regardless of the nation involved.
“I don’t think people understand when a joke is a joke,” Henry said.
“IShowSpeed had the shorts of Nigeria and the top of the US. I just told him it was bad luck to break the set. It could have been France, Italy or Spain and I would have said the same thing.”
Henry also used the opportunity to express admiration for Nigeria and its football culture.
“I was just having a little joke, not that Nigeria is bad luck. I even said I love Naija. I have great respect for Nigeria, the people there and the many Arsenal supporters,” he added.
The exchange gained wider attention due to IShowSpeed’s massive international following and the heightened global interest surrounding the ongoing World Cup in the United States.
Some observers also linked the strong reaction to Nigeria’s recent absence from consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments despite the country’s reputation as one of Africa’s most successful football nations and its long list of stars who have excelled in Europe.
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