Thierry Henry to Receive BBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement Award

LONDON : Thierry Henry, widely considered one of the Premier League’s greatest players, is set to be honoured with the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement award for 2025.

The 48-year-old Frenchman, who retired from playing in 2014, will be presented with the accolade during the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday at 19:00 GMT.

“Football has given me everything and I gave it my all,” said Henry, reflecting on the recognition. “To be recognised as part of its history with this Lifetime Achievement award and to have made my mark for the fans and my team-mates is something I’ll never take for granted.”

Henry’s most celebrated achievements came during his two spells with Arsenal, where he became the club’s record goalscorer with 228 goals in 377 matches, eclipsing Ian Wright in 2005.

During his tenure in England, Henry secured two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, notably anchoring the legendary 2003-04 side known as the ‘Invincibles,’ which completed the Premier League season undefeated. Individually, he won the Premier League Golden Boot a record-equalling four times and was named in the PFA Team of the Year six seasons in a row. He also jointly holds the Premier League record with Kevin de Bruyne for the most assists (20) in a single season.

Born in the Paris suburb of Les Ulis, Henry enjoyed massive success on the global stage, winning the World Cup on home soil in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000 with France. With 51 goals in 123 appearances, he held the record as France’s all-time top scorer until 2022.

However, his international career also included controversy, notably the infamous handball incident against the Republic of Ireland in 2009 World Cup qualifying, which led to a decisive goal and eliminated Ireland from the 2010 Finals.

Following eight seasons at Arsenal, Henry secured a treble—La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey—with Barcelona in 2009. He later played for New York Red Bulls in MLS and returned to Arsenal for a memorable seven-game loan spell in 2012, scoring the winner in his first game back and his final goal in his last appearance.

Since retiring, Henry has moved into management and punditry, serving as Roberto Martinez’s assistant for Belgium, managing Monaco and MLS side Montreal Impact, and most recently leading the France Under-21s and the Olympic team to a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Games.

The BBC justified the selection, with Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski stating: “Thierry Henry redefined what it meant to be a modern footballer… His brilliance combined elegance with ruthless excellence… His legacy as one of the greatest footballers of all time makes him a truly deserving winner.”

Henry joins a distinguished list of recipients, including Sir Mark Cavendish, Pelé, Sir David Beckham, and Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill.