Henry Recalls USA '94 and Bulgaria's Stellar Performance

Thierry Henry, the 1998 World Cup winner with France, who was part of the commentary studio before yesterday's first USA victory at the 2026 World Cup against Paraguay, expressed immense admiration for Bulgaria's performance four years prior. The "Lions" eliminated France on their way to USA '94 after Emil Kostadinov's legendary last-minute goal in Paris. Subsequently, the Bulgarian national team achieved the greatest success in the history of Bulgarian football, reaching fourth place after a series of legendary victories against teams like Greece, Argentina, Mexico, and Germany. The French legend also paid tribute to American national player Alexi Lalas, who was an emblem of the host team at the time.

“The third place they achieved, that was incredible (Bulgaria finished fourth at World Cup '94, but took a bronze medal). Incredible memories, although it's a bit painful because France wasn't there. We only needed a draw to qualify, but in the end, we didn't make it. If you remember the World Cup itself, then you remember Stoichkov, Balakov, and their incredible progress in the tournament. Also, something that impressed me as a child were the kits; all the kits in that tournament were incredible. You remember Germany's legendary kit. Also, the iconic header goal against Germany (by Yordan Lechkov),” was part of the Frenchman's commentary.