Thierry Henry has spoken at length about several of world football’s biggest stars. Appearing on RMC’s Rothen s’enflamme, the former France striker defended Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo while heaping praise on Michael Olise, whom he knows particularly well after coaching him with France’s Under-21s and at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Henry was especially enthusiastic about Olise. The Bayern Munich winger has made an excellent start to the season, scoring eight goals in seven matches across all competitions. But for Henry, his talent comes as no surprise. “Michael is different. He is different on and off the pitch. He is an exceptional guy. (…) I had no doubts. Zero. There are players like that — for me, you don’t need to watch them twice. As soon as he touches the ball, you know.” Henry also praised Olise’s personality, describing him as a simple, shy player who just wants to play football and help his teammates.
Henry Defends Mbappé and Ronaldo
Henry also addressed the debate surrounding Kylian Mbappé. While some have questioned whether France can produce attractive football with their captain at the heart of the team, the former Arsenal star refuses to blame Mbappé. “You can play well. It’s up to the coach to find a way to put the team in the best possible position,” he explained. According to Henry, the responsibility lies with Zinédine Zidane, just as it previously did with Didier Deschamps or Mbappé’s club coaches. “You have to find the right balance, and that’s difficult, with or without Mbappé. It’s not a Mbappé problem, it’s a coaching problem. It’s the coach’s job to find balance within the team.”
Finally, Henry came to Cristiano Ronaldo’s defence. Despite questions surrounding the end of his Portugal career following his departure from the squad and reported tensions with Jorge Jesus, Henry refuses to allow that episode to overshadow CR7’s extraordinary career. “Judge an entire career on that? Never. When I think of Ronaldo, I won’t think about that, never ever!” He instead highlighted the Portuguese star’s huge impact on the sport, praising “his obsession with football, records and being the best” and adding: “What he represents for football is extraordinary. We experienced incredible things with him.”
Whether discussing Olise, whom he regards as an exceptional talent, Mbappé, whom he refuses to blame for France’s collective difficulties, or Ronaldo, whose legacy he firmly defends, Henry delivered a strongly supportive assessment of three of the biggest names in modern football.
