This is Mbappe's 2nd World Cup. He was also pretty good in 2018.
Who is the better player: Mbappe or Henry?
- Thread starter Fortitude
- Start date
But the guy is not wrong, Mbappé came in the French team as a teenager and immediately became the star name winning the World Cup. Since, he is scoring for fun and is a hero of every French kid.
Henry was good for France but never had the impact of Mbappé. He always has been in the shadow of Zidane. Mbappé is just a beast who scored 16 goals in the last 14 games for France. He has 5 goals already in 3 full games played.
I was talking about full World Cup, this one hasn’t finished yet, so we can’t judge his performances yet.
Are we just rating them playing for France or rating them as actual players?
Its a tough argument to make given that Henry already had a WC and Euro medal at 23, plus he played in a major European league, which is something Mbappe hasn't done yet.
Mbappe’s game relies on his lightning pace. He can easily better Henry’s career in every aspect if he stays fit. But if he gets an injury like R9 or Michael Owen and loses that pace then it’ll be harder to reach his full potential. Henry had more to his game even as he got older. Then again, if France wins another WC or Euros with Mbappe being an integral part then it’s hard to argue against him.
Well, a World Cup medal from the bench is not the same as being a starter , so I don’t know what you are talking about.
Stats are very obviously skewed towards Mbappé, but even discounting them - how many big performances does Henry have in the CL beyond Madrid? Arsenal and himself underachieving in the CL were a big talking point for years in the 00s.
He finally won it in this insane Barca team in 09 but he was far from being the main threat by then.
Granted, I may be forgetting some of those oppositions, it was a long time ago.
Henry was France all time top scorer, he played a major role in France becoming the first team to win both the World Cup and euros.
Mbappe may well out do Henry but it’s far too soon.
Also everyone will be in the shadow of Zidane. He is most likely the greatest french player of all time.
It is in the cumulative career sense when evaluating the overall body of a player's trophies, medals, accomplishments etc. Brazilian Ronaldo (IIRC) collected a WC medal in 1994, which counts as him being a 2 time WC winner.
Are we just rating players as playing in the premier league ?
It sounds as because he is playing for PSG he is not a real player.
If not, Mbappé is one of the two best players in the world actually, with Haaland.
Not even close. Mbappe all day long.
Him playing in France does impact on his standing of course. It's not an elite league and until he leaves it any domestic trophies or records he gets there are almost meaningless.
Henry would he the best if he was around today
He played not part in the World Cup. So you are just manipulating words here.
He played a big part in Euro, but don’t make it sounds as it has anything to do with the 98 World Cup.
Only then I'll say is you can't compare stats as its way different now. Henry I am sure would match the modern day striker stats.
Zidane isn't over Platini for France to start with.
As far as Mbappe, it's hard to see him not surpass Henry in almost every facet of the game, and Henry is the first person who will be happy to admit it. Henry deferred a lot in France to Zidane, Mbappe isn't deferring to anyone and is hungry to be the main man in every single game. Henry's best tournament is the Euro 2000, he wasn't really a key player for France in 98, though he was decent, but nowhere close to what Mbappe did for them in 2018, for example. But it's unfair to compare a full body of work of a legend to a 23 years old, but the fact that Mbappe doesn't look woefully short already in that comparison says a lot about him and how he will fare when it's all said and done.
Henry is the better all round player and also played in an era with better players and most importantly better defenders
Henry would be absolutely obscene if he was playing today.
I think Mbappe is ultimately better, and that hurts to say as to as an Arsenal fan. Mbappe is more efficient but I think Henry was more graceful. Henry was a true artist on the pitch. The most creative centre forward I’ve ever seen. I think it’s about mindset too. Mbappe wants goals, Henry wanted the team to win.
Mbappe is still just 23 so its unfair to even compare them....I mean wasnt Henry still sticking up the wing at Juventus at that age?
Monaco Henry was exciting, Juve Henry poor, Arsenal Henry unbelievable, Barca Henry decent, France Henry very good.
I think Mbappe so far has been maybe a level below Henry at Arsenal but already I think he has been a level above any other Henry and still at just 23, he orerty much won Frane the last world cup.
For me personally Henry was maybe more clinical and certainly mroe likeable, I find something dislikable with Mbappes arrogance, dont eve know what it is but I think he goes on to be better. He and Haaland look jsut a level above all the other young pretenders at the moment I feel
Monaco Henry was exciting, Juve Henry poor, Arsenal Henry unbelievable, Barca Henry decent, France Henry very good.
I think Mbappe so far has been maybe a level below Henry at Arsenal but already I think he has been a level above any other Henry and still at just 23, he orerty much won Frane the last world cup.
For me personally Henry was maybe more clinical and certainly mroe likeable, I find something dislikable with Mbappes arrogance, dont eve know what it is but I think he goes on to be better. He and Haaland look jsut a level above all the other young pretenders at the moment I feel
The only thing to explain this thread is recency bias.
Henry had a long career in a top league and won everything you can win as a player. He's one of the elite of the game that has ever existed.
M'bappe is just starting out and may well surpass him, but my god this thread is premature. When M'bappe moves to Spain or England and starts doing big figures we will know more.
Henry had a long career in a top league and won everything you can win as a player. He's one of the elite of the game that has ever existed.
M'bappe is just starting out and may well surpass him, but my god this thread is premature. When M'bappe moves to Spain or England and starts doing big figures we will know more.
He moved to Arsenal when he was 22
How old are you?
Samir Nasri
It’s not in factual sense when you compare actual achievements. Are we comparing what the players did achieve by playing or just which has more chocolate medal.
Messi never went to pick up his first champions league medal because he didn’t play. He stayed disgusted in the dressing room. This mentality did him good.
Why don’t you think it’s close? I respect your opinion but im surprised you don’t rate Thierry Henry more.
He literally scored two goals(More than Mbappe at the last euros)in that World Cup, so he did play a part.
36, and you ?
I know a 70 years old who likes Mbappé too.
Is that an argument or are you just bullsh*ting ?
Henry was a support act for the French side. He was the face of Arsenal but they barely made an impact on Europe aside from 2005/06.
Mbappe was face of Monaco who got to semis of UCL and whilst at PSG he hasn’t surpassed what Henry overall did at Arsenal, they’re competitive in UCL in a way Arsenal were not on a regular basis.
As for France, his impact in 2018 alone was beyond Henry but what he’s doing here as the main man - Henry would have crumbled under that weight of expectation.
Bearing in mind all that and this kids career has barely started - he will comfortably leave Henry behind provided he stays injury free and doesn’t become a looney toon which in fairness seems likely as his ego is the size of Andromeda.
Henry was super talented but Mbappe is more explosive and superior mentally.
Mbappe target needs to be guys like Eusebio or R9 - he needs to be aiming for the stars, multiple World Cup and UCL winner but as the main attraction.
He wasn’t a starter in knockouts. Turn it as you like, that’s the truth.
Just tell me if do you think that Henry was as instrumental for France back then as Mbappé was 4 years ago or now ?
I actually think it's the polar opposite. Henry wasn't as good as this lad.
Agree with Mbappes impact on the national team being better than Henry.
However you can’t use PSGs UCL performances vs Arsenals to say Mbappe was a better player than Henry.
I think Mbappe will get to that level, but as a player currently 23 year old Mbappe isn’t as complete as 2001-2006 Henry.
Hmmm ... I disagree. I remember one season, the return leg Arsenal vs Inter Milan - Henry was like a man possessed
Too bad he is born too soon then.
I’m not. I said at the moment that body of work isn’t enough although we have to bear in mind PSG were finalists and they’re knocking on the door but regardless if he leaves he still got plenty of years to get that UCL win.
His World Cup body of work is already enough for me to put him ahead because he could easily win a premier league if he was play for City or Liverpool and he would be their best player.
Recency bias argument doesn’t work, I’m someone who loves the history of the game but when you see someone above just generational you have to just appreciate it. Mbappe is special - he will define his era IMO.
Prime Henry was obviously a better football player overall but it's pointless to compare Henry's prime to a 23 years old Mbappé.
The thing is, Mbappé already has, at 23, as much if not more memorable games on the biggest stages (NT or CL) than Henry had in his entire carreer. So I guess that if I needed to pick one of them in a ultra high pressure tournament game against a top team, I'd pick Mbappé over Henry.
The thing is, Mbappé already has, at 23, as much if not more memorable games on the biggest stages (NT or CL) than Henry had in his entire carreer. So I guess that if I needed to pick one of them in a ultra high pressure tournament game against a top team, I'd pick Mbappé over Henry.
2 World Cups
Henry was pretty disappointing in the CL as well. Barely scored in finals in general in his career. Obviously a more graceful player and more complete I'd say, but the numbers Mbappe is doing don't lie.
No but was Mbappe as instrumental to France in the last euros as Henry was in euro 2000 ?
In the last World Cup Mbappe was incredibe. But let’s not ignore that he also had a completely shite euros which included him missing the pen which knocked France out.
The argument isnt who has been more important for France in individual tournaments but overall career. It’s far to early to say Mbappe is better than Henry(I mean the kid hasn’t even won the CL yet)