Former France international Thierry Henry hailed his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi after the Argentina captain inspired a dramatic comeback victory over Egypt at the FIFA World Cup 2026, describing the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner as "not human."Speaking on Fox Sports following Argentina's thrilling 3-2 Round of 16 victory, Henry reflected on his time playing alongside Messi at Barcelona and praised the Argentine's remarkable ability to elevate his performance when his team needs him most.
"First and foremost, look at him crying and how much this means to him and to the team," Henry said, as quoted by Fox Sports."It first reminded us that he's human because he missed some penalty kicks—four out of eight. Then it reminds us again that he's not human."
Henry and Messi spent three seasons together at Barcelona between 2007 and 2010, helping the club secure seven major trophies, including the historic 2008-09 treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League.Recalling his experiences with Messi on the training ground, Henry explained what makes the Argentine such an extraordinary competitor.
"I played with him, as you just mentioned, and what happens with Leo is simple—don't wake the sleeping beast inside him. That's exactly what happened, and I've seen it many times in training."
Henry described how training sessions would occasionally become fiercely competitive whenever Messi felt a decision had gone against him.
"Sometimes in training, a coach wouldn't give a foul or would allow play to continue even though Leo believed the ball had gone out. The coach would tell him to keep playing because situations like that happen in matches. Then you'd look into his eyes and see that he'd completely changed."
According to Henry, Messi would often respond by dominating the session.
"He would take the ball, score three goals in a row, win possession back immediately, and score again and again. Then he'd turn around and say, 'Next time, call the foul.' Everyone would just agree because, at that point, there was simply no stopping him."
Henry believes Messi displayed that same competitive mentality against Egypt, refusing to allow his first-half penalty miss to define his performance.
"It doesn't always work out, but whenever his team needs him, he raises his level. He had already played 120 minutes in the previous match, yet he still demanded the ball, took on defenders, and tried to change the game himself. It was incredible."
The former French striker admitted that, despite sharing the pitch with some of football's greatest players, Messi consistently left him amazed.
"I played with Zizou, Ronaldinho, and many other great players. But sometimes, while playing alongside Messi, I'd stop for a second after one of his goals and think, 'Wow.' Then I'd remind myself that the match was still going on. That rarely happens to me, but he's simply unique."
Henry concluded by comparing Messi's performances to scenes from a Hollywood film.
"We're here in the Los Angeles area, and this feels like something out of a Hollywood movie. It's the kind of story that seems too unbelievable to be real. But this guy writes history with his feet."
Messi recovered from an early penalty miss to play a decisive role in Argentina's comeback after Egypt established a two goal advantage through Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko. Cristian Romero initiated the comeback with a headed goal before Messi equalised in the 83rd minute. Enzo Fernandez then scored the dramatic stoppage-time winner to secure Argentina's place in the quarterfinals, where the defending champions will face Switzerland.Messi's equaliser also added to his remarkable World Cup legacy. The 39-year-old became the first player to score in nine consecutive FIFA World Cup matches and reached eight goals in the tournament, equalling Guillermo Stabile's Argentina record for the most goals in a single World Cup edition, set in 1930.According to Opta, Messi also became the first player to score in six consecutive World Cup knockout-stage matches while extending his all-time World Cup record to 21 goals. Despite those achievements, his earlier penalty miss made him the first player to miss two penalties in a single World Cup edition (excluding shootouts) and increased his career total to four missed World Cup penalties the highest by any player.
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