Thierry Henry, the French football legend and current TV analyst, has clarified the truth about remarks attributed to him following France's 2-0 loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup semifinal, insisting they are fabricated and baseless.

Henry said on his Instagram account: 'I had to put an end to some rumors and things circulating on social media about what I said about the French national team.'

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The 1998 World Cup winner referred to 'false statements' attributed to him on platform X after the France-Spain match, claiming he described the French team's performance as 'shameful,' spoke of a lack of 'courage and dignity,' and criticized 'leaders who hid,' insisting that these remarks are entirely fabricated, despite being circulated by several media outlets.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona star said, as reported by French network RMC: 'It's very easy to put someone's face and add quotes without video showing what the person actually said. It's easy to fool people. Search for yourselves! We are in 2026.'

He added: 'Many people make up stories. So please, once again, before you retweet or repost and comment on them, verify their accuracy.'

Henry continued, from his room at a New York hotel where he arrived to cover the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina: 'I know that the videos are geo-blocked, so people in Europe cannot watch what I say in the United States.'

He concluded: 'I will publish what I actually said, and you will see that it is completely different from what has been circulated, especially in Europe. This is not nice at all, and the alleged media should verify before reposting and retweeting.'