THIERRY HENRY has had a street named after him in New York – but skipped the grand unveiling.
However, the Arsenal legend did make a surprise appearance… on FaceTime.
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50th Street and 6th Avenue have been renamed Thierry Henry Way for the World Cup Credit: JattvibeSport
The Frenchman was unable to join in person for the ceremony Credit: JattvibeSport
Henry, 48, won the World Cup with France in 1998 before enjoying illustrious spells with the Gunners and Barcelona.
But he finished his career playing for the New York Red Bulls.
And on the eve of the 2026 World Cup – across the United States, Mexico and Canada – he was given an incredible honour.
New York council members and speakers – plus former Red Bulls team-mate Bradley Wright-Phillips – conducted a ceremony on the corner of 50th Street and 6th Avenue in the heart of Manhattan.
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Following various short speeches, they pulled off the cover to reveal the temporary Thierry Henry Way road sign, which will be in place for the duration of the tournament.
However, Henry himself was not in attendance.
That is due to his various World Cup punditry commitments, where he will be the lead studio analyst for FOX Sports.
As a result, the iconic striker could not join for the presentation.
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This year’s World Cup will be like no other as a record-breaking 48 nations compete to lift football’s biggest prize.
England manager Thomas Tuchel is hoping to finally bring football home after a 60-year drought.
But footballing legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have other plans in what will likely be their final World Cup appearance.
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Bradley Wright-Phillips got Henry on FaceTime Credit: JattvibeSport
Fans posed with the road sign Credit: JattvibeSport
That left hundreds of fans who had gathered – including Arsenal, Barcelona, New York Red Bulls and France – disappointed.
They were lured to the location by a tweet from his MLS side showing Henry doing his corner flag celebration against a lamppost with Radio City in the background.
But Henry did make an unexpected cameo – as well as his speech played on TV with heavily disrupted audio.
That is because Wright-Phillips – son of Ian Wright – interrupted one of the speeches to show his phone to the crowd, with the Frenchman on the video call.
That prompted wild cheers and spontaneous chants.
Henry wrote on Instagram to explain his absence and show his appreciation to his “favourite city”.
He said: “As a Frenchman who calls London my home, NEW YORK remains my favourite city in the world.
“To have a street named after me is an HONOUR I could only have dreamed of.
“This city holds such a special place in my heart – my son Tristan was born here, so NEW YORK is forever a part of our family’s story.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t be there today as I’m working, but I was with you all in spirit.
“Thank you for this incredible honour. A special thank you to my Red Bull team-mates for representing me and to Mayor Mamdani and Virginia Maloney for your kindness and recognition.
“I’ll be back soon for a SELFIE.”
Henry was not the only World Cup hero given the street name honour, though.
Across town in Queens, another road was renamed Pele Way in tribute to the three-time World Cup winner who finished his career with the New York Cosmos in the late 1970s.
