Before Kylian Mbappe, there was another world class French forward who began his career with Monaco.
Thierry Henry went on to become one of the greatest strikers of all-time and one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League. He saw success with France, winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000 and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Henry, along with Alan Shearer, was one of the inaugural inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021. He is currently an assistant coach for the Belgium national team.
Here’s everything you need to know about the best Thierry Henry cards, from early rookies to the latest sets.
The Best Thierry Henry Cards
We’ve listed a trio of the best Thierry Henry cards, including a couple of rookie options from the late 1990s.
3. 2020-21 Panini Prizm Premier League Club Legends Thierry Henry #CL-TH (eBay)
Rather than options from the ‘90s, we’ll begin with a card found in more recent sets.
2020-21 Panini Prizm Premier League features a Club Legends Signatures subset, showing off Henry in the legendary Dreamcast kit.
(SEGA and Arsenal announced a shirt sponsorship agreement for the 1999-2000 season, helping to date the card image to a year in which the Gunners finished second in the league.)
The auto is of the stickered variety, but it’s still a tempting piece for any Arsenal/France supporters.
- Prizm Parallels: Blue Shimmer, Pink Ice, Red Ice, Purple #/99 or less, Silver #/25 or less, Gold #/10 or less, Black 1/1
- Choice Prizm Parallels: Base, Gold #/10 or less, Black 1/1
- European Prizm Parallels: Gold Wave, Black Gold 1/1
- Asia Prizm Parallels: Red Stars
2. 1998 Panini France ‘98 Thierry Henry RC #172 (eBay)
Next up is a sticker that predates Henry’s association with Arsenal. The forward won the 1998 World Cup as a youth, and ended the tournament as France’s top scorer with three goals.
World Cup rookie memorabilia is always popular, even if it’s not made of cardboard. This is especially true as Henry won it outright, before going on to have a legendary career in Italy, England, Spain, and the United States.
Given the age, it’s tough to find pristine copies in the present day.
1. 1997 Panini Foot Thierry Henry RC #104 (eBay)
The top spot is reserved for Henry’s bonafide rookie card, released as part of the 1997 Panini Foot set.
This time, Henry is in the red and white of Monaco, with tape along his nose as he dribbles down the pitch in a strong action shot. (He won the league with Monaco in 1996–97, seeing off the challenge of Paris Saint-Germain in the process.)
Once again, it’s rare to find copies that have made it to 2022 unscathed, especially as there’s no border line. It’s our favourite of all of the Henry cards released throughout the years, even if there’s no auto or serial number.
Thierry Henry Cards: Buyers Guide
Here are our thoughts on the current state of the Theirry Henry card market.
Henry cards sell fairly regularly, as collectors are always interested if there’s an autograph in either a France or Arsenal kit.
A more affordable alternative would be the 2006 Panini World Cup #109 (eBay), showing the legend at the height of his powers on the international stage.
We really like the look of the 1997 Panini Foot RC. The the same goes for the 1998 World Cup sticker. Then again, the 2020-21 Prizm card is signed, and comes with a serial number.
Of the trio, we’d probably stick with the original if we had to choose, but they’re all solid options.
Thierry Henry Cards: Buying/Selling Advice
Henry is a living legend. He’s known the world over after being part of various massive marketing campaigns throughout the past two decades.
He also happened to be one of the most audacious strikers of all time, exuding a steely calmness that rattled endless defenders throughout the years.
Henry also wants to be a manager, even if it all went wrong at Monaco and Montreal after he was promoted too soon.
He’s now back with Belgium. He must be hoping for a crack at a big name like Arsenal in the future. (It would also help to boost the average values of his cards, which is something to consider.)