Former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry is set to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year event.
At 48 years old, Henry is regarded as one of the greatest players in Premier League history and hung up his boots in 2014.
He will be honored during the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year show, which will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer starting at 19:00 GMT on Thursday.
“Football has given me everything, and I gave it my all,” Henry remarked.
“Being recognized as part of its history with this Lifetime Achievement award and making an impact for the fans and my teammates is something I will always cherish.”
During his two stints with Arsenal, Henry scored 228 goals in 377 appearances, surpassing Ian Wright to become the club’s all-time leading scorer in 2005.
He achieved three FA Cup victories and two Premier League titles in England, including the remarkable 2003-04 season when Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ went unbeaten throughout the league.
Henry also won the Premier League Golden Boot four times, tying the record, and was selected for the PFA Team of the Year for six consecutive seasons.
He shares the record with Kevin de Bruyne for the most assists (20) in a single Premier League season.
In 2024, the Lifetime Achievement award was given to British cycling legend Sir Mark Cavendish.
Previous recipients of the award include Billie Jean King, Pele, Sir Bobby Charlton, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Sir David Beckham, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, and Sir Chris Hoy.
Born in Les Ulis, a suburb of Paris, Henry was part of the French national team that won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000.
With 51 goals in 123 matches for Les Bleus, he held the record for the country’s all-time top scorer until former Arsenal player Olivier Giroud broke it in 2022.
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However, Henry’s controversial handball during the 2009 World Cup qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland sparked significant backlash, as it led to a crucial goal that allowed France to qualify for the 2010 Finals at Ireland’s expense.
After spending eight seasons at Arsenal, Henry transferred to Barcelona in 2007, where he won a treble—La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey—in 2009, defeating Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the Champions League final in Rome.
In 2010, he joined Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls but returned to Arsenal for a brief loan in 2012, where he scored the winning goal in a 1-0 match against Leeds United in his first game back after five years.
He netted another goal during his loan spell in a last-minute win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
After retiring in 2014, Henry transitioned into a career as a pundit, serving as a studio analyst for BBC Sport during Euro 2016.
Having previously worked with Arsenal’s youth teams, he began his management career as an assistant to Belgium’s head coach Roberto Martinez in 2016.
In October 2018, Henry was appointed head coach of his former club, Monaco, but he only lasted three months in that role with the Ligue 1 team.
In 2019, he became the head coach of MLS team Montreal Impact but departed in 2021 to return to Europe.
In 2023, Henry was named manager of France’s Under-21 team and led them at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they secured a silver medal after losing to Spain in the final.
The panel for this year’s awards included 2014 Rugby World Cup champion Maggie Alphonsi, former England footballer Anita Asante, double Paralympic gold medalist sprinter Libby Clegg, former world champion boxer Carl Frampton, and 2009 World Cup-winning cricketer Ebony Rainford-Brent.
Also on the panel were media personality and sports presenter Josh Denzel, sports broadcaster and Match of the Day co-host Kelly Cates, Daily Mail chief sports feature writer Riath Al-Samarrai, and Times sports reporter Molly Hudson.
Representing the BBC were Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski, head of content Philip Bernie, and executive producer Marc Vesty.
Kay-Jelski remarked, “Thierry Henry redefined what it means to be a modern footballer.
“His artistry and intelligence in the Premier League, along with his impact on the global stage, showcased a brilliance that combined elegance with ruthless excellence.
“Thierry inspired generations of players and fans with his creativity, leadership, and undeniable passion for the game. His influence goes far beyond his goals, shaping football culture and the understanding of the sport today.
“His legacy as one of the greatest footballers of all time makes him a truly deserving recipient of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement award.”
