‘The best team won!’ – Thierry Henry delivers glowing verdict on Spain and explains why no one can stop them

Henry has never been one to shy away from tactical analysis, and the former Arsenal and Barcelona icon has now offered a glowing assessment of Spain's recent dominance on the international stage. This era of supremacy includes lifting Euro 2024 with a final victory over England, followed by their World Cup glory where they defeated France 2-0 in the semi-finals before edging Argentina 1-0 in the final. Speaking in an extensive interview with Spanish publication As, Henry highlighted that the true strength of the current setup lies in the group rather than any single superstar.

Reflecting on their journey to the summit, Henry emphasized that their success was a victory for a specific footballing culture. The Frenchman noted that the team's cohesion is what sets them apart from other nations who rely on individual moments of magic. During the interview, he explained his view on their triumph by stating: ‘I already said it at the time: it is a team. The star is the team. As you know, I lost against Spain in all the big games. I'm not going to name the whole team, but I've seen it; we've all always seen it. I say it constantly: their way of working, their identity, the philosophy and the value of the team ahead of individualities have now given them the reward. The best team won the World Cup and no one can say otherwise. It was a masterclass.’

Spain did not merely captivate onlookers with their fluid attacking play or overwhelming possession during the World Cup; their defensive solidity was equally formidable. La Roja conceded just a single goal across eight matches throughout the entire tournament - a lone strike that came during their 2-1 quarter-final victory over Belgium.

The Frenchman broke down the mechanics of their defensive success, suggesting that critics often overlook how little ground Spain actually concede during ninety minutes of play. Henry elaborated on this tactical point by saying: ‘People talk about the only goal conceded or isolated details, but I am almost certain that Spain only received ten shots on goal in the entire tournament. If you press well and ensure that the rival is far from your goal, that is what happens.’

Henry also addressed the psychological and physical toll that facing Spain takes on opposition players, expressing his ultimate admiration for their two-way dominance on the pitch. When asked about the sheer difficulty of competing against such an imposing force, the former France striker confessed: ‘Something that always surprises me when people talk about Spain is that people say: 'If you play against Spain, do this or that'. But when you don’t have the ball, you have to play football without it. So how do you do it against a team like that?’

‘There were so many things in the tournament, but Spain dominated both with and without the ball,’ Henry added. ‘It is a wonder to watch them play. In fact, they were the only team I didn’t want to face because it’s very difficult and we’ve always suffered against them.’ Indeed, Spain’s recent supremacy over Les Bleus has been undeniable across major competitions, highlighted by a 2-1 victory in the Euro 2024 semi-finals, a thrilling 5-4 win in the 2024-25 Nations League semi-finals, and their decisive World Cup semi-final triumph.

Spain’s quest for yet another international silverware resumes this Saturday with a highly anticipated Nations League opener against England at Wembley Stadium. La Roja enter the competition as one of its most dominant forces, having reached the final in each of the last three editions - lifting the trophy in the 2022-23 season, alongside runner-up finishes in 2020-21 and 2024-25.