Thierry Henry Claims MLS American Players Were Better During His Playing Days

Former New York Red Bulls forward and global soccer icon Thierry Henry has sparked conversation by claiming that the quality of American players in Major League Soccer (MLS) has declined over the last 15 years. Henry, who spent several seasons in MLS from 2010 to 2014, made the bold statement during an appearance on CBS Sports.

In recent years, many talented American players have moved to Europe to hone their skills, leaving fewer MLS-based players in the U.S. national team setup. For the September friendlies, only two MLS players were called up to the U.S. national team: Tim Ream from Charlotte FC and Patrick Schulte from the Columbus Crew.

Henry commented, “I played in the MLS, and I thought the American-based players in the league were better than the American players now.” His claim has raised questions about the development of homegrown talent in the U.S.’s top soccer league and the increasing trend of young American players heading to Europe in search of stronger competition and development opportunities.

The full clip of Henry’s remarks has been making the rounds, igniting debate about the current state of MLS and the future of American talent in the league.