Video: ‘Nigeria isn’t bad luck,’ Thierry Henry clarifies World Cup on-air joke with IShowSpeed
Abdullateef Fowewe
Former France striker and pundit Thierry Henry has clarified a viral on-air joke he made with streamer IShowSpeed during 2026 World Cup coverage, insisting the banter targeted a mismatched kit not Nigeria or its people.
In a video posted after the clip circulated widely, Henry explained the context of the exchange, in which IShowSpeed wore a USA jersey paired with Nigerian shorts.
Henry said the remark was about “breaking a matching kit set” and “bad luck” for the U.S. team rather than any suggestion that Nigeria itself brings misfortune.
“I was just having a little joke with him, saying that it will be bad luck; not Nigeria is bad luck, but to break the set is bad luck,” Henry said in the clip.
He repeated his admiration for Nigeria multiple times, “And I even said I love, I love Naija, and by the way, I do. I have mad respect for Nigeria and the people there. Nigeria is never bad luck.”
The clarification aims to calm responses after the segment prompted debate on social media about cultural sensitivity and the tone of live commentary.
