Since FIFA said they'd be in touch about making this official, I just gotta say that I really couldn't think of anyone better to represent the World Cup than the guy who's spent the last three years promoting and learning the world's cultures and breaking stereotypes around them
🚨 Thierry Henry Explains Why Arsenal Are One of the Most Hated Clubs in Football
🗣️: “People always ask why everyone is so obsessed with Arsenal. The answer is simple: relevance. When Arsenal are struggling, the world talks about them. When Arsenal are winning, the world talks about them. Very few clubs in football command that level of gravity.
Arsenal have one of the biggest fanbases in the world, and with a fanbase that large, every opinion becomes louder. Every victory feels bigger, every defeat becomes a global discussion, and every title race turns into a war between supporters online.
In recent years, Arsenal have returned to competing for the biggest trophies, and that naturally creates enemies. Nobody hates teams that are irrelevant. Rival fans say they dislike Arsenal supporters because they are confident, loud, and everywhere. But if we're being honest, every successful club has supporters like that.
After losing to PSG in the Champions League final, you can already see thousands of fans who don't even support the opposing team celebrating Arsenal's downfall. That’s not just rivalry; that’s fear and obsession.
The reality is that Arsenal are one of the few clubs in world football that people either love or love to see lose. That's usually what happens when a club becomes big enough to live in everyone's mind, even when they're not playing.”
Emmanuel Petit on Premier League clubs mocking Arsenal after the final defeat:
🗣️ “I have to say, I found it embarrassing.
The second Arsenal lost, some Premier League clubs couldn't wait to jump on social media and remind everyone about their European trophies.
That tells you everything.
Instead of supporting an English club representing the league on the biggest stage in club football, they were busy celebrating Arsenal's pain.
For me, that's not rivalry. That's insecurity.
Arsenal were 90 minutes away from doing something special, and rather than show respect, people were desperately searching through the history books for old trophies to post online.
Why? Because they were terrified of seeing Arsenal join that club.
Let's be honest, some of these clubs spent the entire season watching Arsenal compete at a level they couldn't reach.
The jealousy was obvious.
The moment Arsenal fell short, they treated it like they had won something themselves.
That's the mentality of people who would rather see Arsenal fail than focus on their own success.
The trophy may have slipped away, but the reaction from some rivals showed exactly how much Arsenal still live rent-free in their heads.”
For years, the running joke was “Arsenal 4th”
Then the running joke was “Arsenal 2nd”
Now they’re making fun of Arsenal for winning the Premier League and losing in a Champions League final on pens to the reigning champs
Our rivals’ biggest games this year were watching us 😂
Absolutely immense season. Champions of England. Didnt lose a single UCL game in full time. Rivals waited until the last kick of the season.
Never been a better time to support Arsenal. He is staying. He is hungry. He will fix the roof while the sun is shining.
Arsenal FC ❤️