When was Thierry Henry handball vs Ireland? Year of controversial play that knocked Irish out of World Cup

An unlikely rivalry will be reignited during Euro 2024 qualifiers when France and the Republic of Ireland are drawn into the same group.

Little love is lost between these two sides as the Republic of Ireland will likely never forget a controversial Thierry Henry handball that denied them a World Cup spot over a decade ago.

As there was no VAR at the time, Henry was able to score the winning goal during a 2010 World Cup playoff between France and the Republic of Ireland despite controlling the ball with his hand.

The moment has gone down in football folklore and will ensure the game stays fiery for years to come.

MORE: Euro 2024 qualifying group tables, standings, fixtures

When was Henry Handball vs Ireland?

Henry’s handball against the Republic of Ireland was further committed November 18, 2009 in the second leg of their 2010 World Cup playoffs.

France had won the first leg 1-0 away but were shocked when Robbie Keane gave Ireland a 1-0 lead in the second leg in France.

The playoff was forced into overtime when William Gallas scored the winning goal in the 103rd minute by capitalizing on Henry’s handball.

The striker apparently touched the ball twice with his left hand while attempting to control the ball in the penalty area, but the incident was overlooked by the referee – much to the Irishman’s dismay.

Who was the referee at Henry Handball?

Swedish official Martin Hansson was the referee in charge when Henry committed the controversial handball.

He was cleared of any wrongdoing but admitted he considered quitting his job after the incident.

“I asked myself if this job was worth all the humiliation I was subjected to,” Hansson told the Swedish newspaper Sydostran at the time.

“Thoughts like, ‘Is this really what I want?’ came to mind too. But now, after all the support I’ve had, I know it wasn’t my fault. It was an unfortunate situation with major consequences for Ireland. But it wasn’t the fault of our referee team. “

Hansson would retire from refereeing in October 2013 at the age of 42.

Did Henry apologize for handball?

Henry was slammed for handball and was quick to admit his guilt after the game.

“Yes, there was a hand, but I’m not the referee. Toto wanted to go forward, I was behind two Irishmen, the ball bounced and hit my hand,” he told reporters at the time.

“Of course I played on. The referee didn’t call ‘hand’ but I can’t say there wasn’t a hand.”

Two days after the incident, Henry released a statement saying he felt sorry for the Irish and calling for the game to be replayed.

“The fairest solution would be to replay the game, but it’s not in my control…” Henry said in his statement.

“Obviously I’m embarrassed by how we won and very sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa.

“I said then, and I will say it again, that I handled the ball. I am not a cheater and never have been.”

“It was an instinctive reaction to a ball coming extremely quickly into a crowded penalty area. … As a footballer you don’t have the luxury of being able to slow down the ball’s pace 100 times a conscious decision.

“People see a slow-motion version of what happened and not what I or any other footballer encounters in the game. If people look at it at full speed, you’ll see that it was an instinctive reaction.”

The match was ultimately not replayed as FIFA turned down a request from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).

The Football Association held an Extraordinary General Assembly just two weeks after the incident, but at which FIFA stressed the need to use new technology to ensure such decisions are avoided in the future. VAR was ultimately seen as the answer and has since become an important part of the sport.