FULL INTERVIEW: Thierry Henry on why he chose football, Lionel Messi and MORE | The Pat McAfee Show

Thierry Henry joined the Pat McAfee Show discuss the rise of football in America, Lionel Messi, why he chose to play football and even ask Pat about why he chose American football.

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H is like he knows something I I love this guy I love this moment ladies and gentlemen um I don’t know how to say it in in French but he wore the number 14 scored goals all the time and was like the coolest looking human That Ever Walked

Or talked on a pitch now he works for CBS covering soccer which is our game yep ladies and gentlemen tiar onri And maybe T we is he actually here we we we sir what an out than than you Manz Louis jacket holy hell honor great now yeah man what an accent hell yeah brother let me see love this this guy you okay which you want you do whatever the hell you want I

Think that’s definitely backwards yeah yeah that that was yeah yeah that’s the way yeah you could do anything hey Bono uh I want to let you know I wor the number 14 growing up I was a striker uh you are massive inspo to my Soccer World could not run longer than 10 minutes

Would inevitably be my downfall but you’re a freaking dog dude we appreciate everything you’ve done thanks a lot so 14 because of me yeah well see here’s the deal um you know everybody used to play FIFA too and you were tiar only you were the GU so this is a big moment for

Us apprciate what happened why did you didn’t carry on playing football all football shall I say well soccer um so I decided to take like just run like four steps kick a ball and they paid me like millions of dollars you guys running like seven miles yeah yeah it is long it

Is long yes it’s a lot of running that’s not that’s not a bad a bad choice have you ever kicked a football American football yeah just for fun like that I I never I never really went into it you know the way you have to hit it obviously the ball is is completely

Different it’s it’s it’s not the same like goalkeepers as you can imagine can be good at it because they have a certain way to hit the ball yes motion so they go through it so it’s it’s different but I I would like to think

That I can kick one what I put it in I don’t know yeah but you have to you on re yeah right but you know it’s a different ball game it’s a different sport you know all with all humility it’s it’s it’s a different thing well

You’re a legend in our book we just assume You’ be able to do it if you want to do your tyon re uh now we would like to talk about your sport all right it’s our sport now it’s our sport now it is America sport now sorry yeah you heard

That we’re going to win a World Cup don’t we right we got real players you going to be our coach why are you not our coach we’re going to win a World Cup you I already have a job but thank you uh yeah you had the World Cup before

That didn’t help for you to master the game Dam that was a long time ago that a long ago yeah but Messi’s playing for America now but’s Argentinian no but he’s playing in America how how is that supposed to to help the US he decided

He’s going to play for the us cuz we all know soccer now we downloaded the Apple thing we all watched it in all fairness you know what it it to to to be honest it is a great thing for for the country obviously you know it’s also happening

In Mexico and and in Canada what’s that oh yeah there’s only like one game games in in Mexico only like the World Cup there’s there no it’s ours just like soccer the bad games you United States of America’s hosting World Cup fairness it is good it is good to bring awareness

And that’s that’s especially for the Youth I always said that because one thing that I would say for you guys is that you lose your freaks so the you guys you go to play basketball you go and play a you know American football and and whatever sport so you don’t

Really yeah you don’t really have your fre yeah we put together fantasy teams from America before where LeBron James is like the goalie Odell Beckham Jr’s the striker yeah but you need to run with the ball at your feet that’s a different ball game okay tarry we don’t

You know we just kind of got it out there no but it’s it’s look I I cannot throw a ball I cannot catch it I I have mad respect for anyone anyone that does any sport cuz it is a skill yeah right it doesn’t really matter what you do but

I can assure you running with the ball at your Feit full speed it’s a different ball Game yes absolutely ball is not here ball is here so you’re always on one leg every time you push the ball with people that can touch you by the way well and then and then what happens

And then you fall flops oh flops flops tiry flopping all over what does it look like what does it look like out there what does it look like out there lot of the times it’s like go ahead go ahead bump me [Applause] I don’t know what’s more impressive that

The and I I think the French team actually developed that wow no no no not really impressed more impressed by the haircut hey that was hey good haircut thank you sir broke my I think he got the penalty though they called The Penalty there though don’t you

Think it might be it might be the state of soccer um you talked about like you like what Messi’s doing obviously bringing it you were part of that as well coming over and playing in the MLS obviously David Beckham all the starsi came Steven Gerard Frank lard po I’m not

Going to name them all Wayne Rooney scored one from 50 yards out exactly no but I think you know like I said bringing wiess is always is always a place when you have those those guys coming in the league I mean when you have the world best player in the world

Obviously you you have Messi in your league I think that’s the first time what I mean by the world best is he is actually the one that has the title the Ballon door so yeah yeah the Ballon door or e one officially the the the FIFA the

Best event so you have this guy in your league and I mean is a freak I played with him about Barcelona and and you know is is something special how come everybody says the MLS is the best league in the world they say it’s the best league in the world how do they

Know why do they know that the MLS is now the superior league in which world the the world we live in so in the US I don’t know if you do IAS and you want to talk about different dimensions we’re talking about this one and we’re the MLS

Now we got the balloon door y we got the uh we got the E1 coach in the league in the world absolutely and we also won the cona so and the Gold Cup how about that and the Gold Cup where’s Beckham live so the cona that’s what we won tiry you heard

Him we won it woo you know what they were singing at the the end of the cona tell me our national anthem cuz we’re standing right there at the top and we wanted to play against the champion of the europs too nobody would put up the pink slips we wanted you to

Put up the trophies cona trophy vers the Europe’s trophy we wanted to do it but with that being said how come everybody Cooks the MLS like when Messi comes and plays well wasn’t he doing that to everybody else as well or is the MLS actually like when you came over here

Was it better or worse than you thought it was going to be look first if we talk about Leo Leo has been doing it everywhere so it’s not about a thing about the MLS Leo still score goals in the national team it was scoring goal for Paris won the league with parain won

The won the World Cup recently as you as you saw so it’s not about a thing of the MLS I mean Leo is pretty just Unstoppable wherever he goes he will score goals there has nothing to do with with the league but having saying that

You know it’s it’s a new league I mean how do you battle with with history you guys will know like you have history players play you know the best players are often in Europe in the leagues in Europe in in Italy in France in Holland obviously in Spain obviously in Germany

England so you will have those guys playing there and know if you don’t have that type of talent the level will drop but the level will drop in a lot of leagues not only in the MLS so MLS is MLS is MLS like like I said look I played here four years four

And a half years if I if I if I can say so the level was different it’s it’s just in in the title as we as we all know but pretty competitive league pretty competitive yeah it it is no it is pretty competitive and for me

Wa for me also what was different is the traveling you know because when you play in the country in in in Europe you don’t travel that far it’s an hour away 45 minutes away by by by plane or you take the train it’s 2 hours away or the bus 2

Hours away you go and play in LA it’s 5 hours 3 hours behind and you know for me to adjust to that at the beginning I was like what the hell is happening yeah you know I’m still sleeping going on the on the on the on the coach going to the

Game you’re in New York it’s it’s minus 10 obviously well for you guys it’s uh yeah whatever and then you arrive in the L Suddenly It’s Hot and you play outside and you suddenly by the time your body does adjust to that you two KN down and

You go and you need vitamin C vitamin D need a lot of Zin need all of it Tone’s got a question for you we always talk about how the speed of the game of in football from regular season to the playoffs to the Super Bowl is is so much

Different in in in soccer where is it the Pinnacle is it in the Champions League is it in the World Cup MLS no it’s a good question I mean it’s it’s it’s it’s it’s different because every game does matter I’m not saying that every doesn’t matter here you know

You’re trying to make the playoff and then when you make the playoff things happens right if you lose a game in the league you don’t know where you’re going to catch that you know because you win the league but you know at the end of 38 games correct you know 38 games 90

Minutes if you add the the champions league if you add playing for the national team at the end of the season obviously when you have the most important tournaments you have for a big player a good player you will have 65 you would have played 65 to 17 games

And that’s when you need to be like at at at your best which is not always easy easy easy to do because every game counts you cannot let one go or whatever for do you guys rest cuz like with the NBA there’s a big like no we don’t I

Mean now OB okay let me go back in my time everyone played everything now the way it is in the game because you have more games yeah at times there is like kind of a turnover but big players don’t big players don’t miss games have to

Play not they have to play but I mean big players Miss games big players wants to play any single game hell yeah so Leo Messi for example or Cristiano Ronaldo they play every game so it depends I understand that some of the guys also need the race because you have a lot of

Games and you need to perform at the end of this season and guys that have played here will know Play Seven in around 65 to 70 games at the end of the season where you need to be at your best it’s pretty heavy Champions League starts Tuesday yeah yes here we go Champions

League starts Tuesday AQ big fan of the sports of soccer has a question for you big fan got into it recently but my question is if you let’s say you finish third in the Premier League right but go win the Champions League what what level

Like how do how do they judge that over there is the Premier League you guys got a 100 trophies or is the Champions League the the Pinnacle or where we at there where does Burnley sit oh my God no you know what you know it’s there something ter don’t be

Laughing in JJ watt’s face okay he owns I know and and it’s great for him you know to bring awareness for everybody here but let’s go back to the question what what’s difficult here is obviously finishing in the top four in a premier league is way more difficult to finish

In the top four or top three in any other league cuz is one of the best league in the world it’s like you guys when you have divisions and you like okay those guys are doing well there but they haven’t played those guys yet sure

And so you go like wait wait and see when they’re going to play a proper team and then so that’s that’s kind of the same so it it’s very difficult at times to enter the champions league if you are in the Premier League because the competition

Is kind of oh cannibalized kind of eat each other it’s you have you have way more it’s like in the Premier League you can have like I know it’s difficult to call it still a top something but you have a top eight in other division in other leagues in other country you will

Have a top two the top three really three solid teams that you’re like okay they will do it it apart from the surprise but in the Premier League you have top eight so only four can go to the Champions League so it’s a battle every year so it makes it difficult to

Enter it but it’s different competition if you win your league it’s a great achievement and the champions league is a different competition I know for you guys it’s kind of hard to understand what’s happening here but you know if you’re champion of Europe and you don’t

Win your league it is still a hell of a trophy yeah got it yeah and that starts Tuesday Champions League it’s the big one it does well you you can have burnley’s never going to be in this never you look you can never say never because Leicester Leicester city I don’t

Know if you follow that story oh yeah yeah made it if you had said that to me when I was the player that Leicester city will win the Premier League and go uh in the Champions League I would have said please can we can we be serious so

We it can it can happen anything can happen in the game it’s unlikely but it can it can happen but I’m looking JJ We Believe JJ let’s go JJ let’s get you on Tuesday nights Champions League cuz all eyes are watching obviously that uh tierry we appreciate you stopping by you

Know when is the Champions League going to let our top cuz you said top eight Premier League top two and MLS we got what the Miami team’s good Sounders Seattle Sounders first Columbus Crew there you go Columbus Crew won it so and I know at times well they didn’t let Miami in a

Tournament which makes no sense FC Salt Lake yeah FC Salt Lake is so good out there the the the the thing that I’m saying it’s it’s is this yeah obviously Leo is there and is great if you can have a big Market winning you know you you

Guys all know that whatever sport it is in the US it’s always better if a big Market does well but Columbus Crew won it and if I ask you who plays for Columbus Crew you will not know not and they it’s they are a good team so it is

The competition is is not that easy in the in the MLS yeah we agree CBS Sports is the home of the champions league and of TI HRI what a legend dude don’t know about that but I guess the 14 how old are you now did he oh 46 God you’re so

Young thank you so young you got winner Sunday oh wait so do you follow sport much yes I do follow Sports and I will go I like greatness so I’ll go with my owns okay I’ll go with my owns because I’m sure he still has in his head losing against Brady and

Against the baners and if he wants to surp surpass what people will say the goat mhm he’s going to have to bring some ring with it so you know what I like about my homes is how he sees the game I like a player with a brain I’m

Not saying that the offs don’t have one I’m just saying I like a player with a brain and he has that in abundance so I like greatness I want him to go through that nothing against the 49ers and I we all know that they didn’t win it for a

Very long time and they lost finals along the way mhm but I’m going to have to go with mys cuz I like greatness let’s go good sweet Louis thing it’s like kind of casual but it’s not you know some some thank you ma’am when did you

Become a professional what age uh 17 17 I 20 20 years career uh I avoid uh everything never got injured like I’m talking about big one apart from couple of strain acces uh and stuff like that but yeah I played 20 years I had the opportunity to play in great teams part

Of of of history of the game so I’m I’m I’m blessed with that in all fairness do you know any of the goalies that you didn’t score on like Tony mola for instance you ever scor in Tony mola she never played against so no so no so no

Yeah I never scored in Tony Miola thought so ladies and gentlemen soccer icon CBS Sports starts champions league on Tuesday that’s a big deal right that’s a big deal we have to make our way back to Europe and make sure we look okay because we’re staying here it’s

Going to be a long flight woo it’s Vegas too hey well you know it depends what you do in Vegas yeah true I went to bed last night 7:00 a.m. or 700 p.m. I went to bed at 8:00 p.m. yes wow I was jetti so I mean I have an excuse what about

You well I was tired I saw you too yeah Bono actually kind of suck sucked all the energy not bad at all so you two that’s great you you like you two who doesn’t like you to all tiry I’m not getting into it you should go to that

Sphere show oh you two is outstanding come on music is music right yes what type music do you like what type music you listen to well any type of music really that that brings me but I grew up obviously with with uh with listening to hip hop and and obviously I’m I’m

Caribbean originally so I have to go with kasav you guys will not know about it but you know I have to go you don’t know I don’t know about we we we have you know I grew up with that one but you know I grew up with NWA and I nice all

Where you grow up at suburb of Paris okay which uh yeah I don’t know if you’ve been there you can go with me rough area you guys I’m sure know also about rough areas you have it all around the world but that’s why I grew up Hip

Hop was big at the time uh I’m I’m more old school hip hop uh than than new school I don’t know yeah yeah you’re speaking same language I’m more there with you know proper meaning and a proper story about what they were saying and great messages apart from the old

Songs at time M all I say but no yeah hiy poop we appreciate you man thank you I appreciate it man do you guys hate Americans over there no not at all you know that’s not what I experien that’s not I was called a dumb Yan I came here

To play I came here to coach I came here on vacation so if you’re looking for a guy that that’s American you you get you have the wrong guy no yeah that’s what I’m saying we’re always been very welcoming yeah like french fries come on in come on we love french fries didn’t

We we we made it like one of our main things fishing chips Statue of Liberty we’re like putting right in the biggest city right there French toast we love the French Louisiana Purchase boom good deal I go over there though I’m a dumb Yankee was just I didn’t know is that

Still the The View well I don’t have that one so I can’t speak for everybody you need you need to ask you need to ask the English what they think about it but I’m okay Boom for the English Messi Boku English or Messi Bou hey um is oo rude

Or is that just like a see you later o is like bye bye that’s it okay Shante what’s on Shante mean on Shante is like when you greet someone on Shante but that’s really like nobody will say that apart if you meet unless you’re you know the the president or you know boom

But you T re they sayante if I’m with my guy that I grew up with I say Shante I w’t go down to Shante m 2 a trade talented very good what else that’s that’s all I got that’s good that’s good that’s good what I say you’re very

Talented that’s not bad that’s not bad the way you say it Talent who that’s what you are buob ladies and gentlemen TI re thank you