New York names street after Thierry Henry, 2010 handball controversy reignited

New York renamed a street after Thierry Henry on Thursday, at the intersection of 50th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan, to mark the kick-off of the 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The initiative is part of a series of tributes paid by several host cities to football legends.

World Cup winner in 1998 with France and former striker for New York Red Bulls in MLS, Henry welcomed the distinction on social media. “Having a street bearing my name is an honour I would never have dared dream of,” he wrote, adding that New York held “a special place” in his heart since the birth of his son Tristan in the city.

The tribute did not, however, meet with universal approval. Irish supporters immediately recalled Henry’s handball during the France-Ireland playoff return match in November 2009, which allowed France to qualify for the 2010 World Cup at the expense of the Republic of Ireland. The incident, which went unpenalised at the time, remains one of the most painful controversies in recent Irish football history.

Despite regrets expressed repeatedly by the former international over the years, the episode continues to provoke strong reactions, nearly sixteen years after the events. The New York distinction thus offered him a new platform, as much to celebrate his career as to reopen a wound never quite healed.