Memory, music and the release that only football can offer. Thierry Henry reflects on lifting the FIFA World Cup™ Official Trophy, the pressure that follows, and why Tequila Don Julio’s golden bottle feels like the right companion for a month when the game belongs to everyone.
Henry was 20, about to turn 21, when he lifted the biggest prize in the sport. “It’s like a weight lifted off your shoulders,” he says. “I looked at it before I raised it – ‘Is this real?’ In that instant, everything in your life flashes through: difficulty, joy, family."
The Tequila Don Julio 1942 FIFA World Cup 2026™ Edition campaign frames that same release – a crafted object for a collective feeling. Aged for at least two years in American white oak barrels with vanilla and roasted agave at its core, and a finish that carries a silky smooth sensation – it’s a bottle made for the moment when the tensions lift and celebration takes over.
Soundtracking game mode
Henry’s ritual is simple: atmosphere first, then edge. “On the ride to the stadium it was Zouk, Kassav, always,” he says. “As soon as we arrived, I switched to hip‑hop. You need hype before a match. Soul is for after.”
That switch – from community to competition – tracks the campaign’s energy, moving from golden nostalgia to present tense performance.
Seeing the trophy again
The visual cues still spark. “From afar I wondered about the colour,” Henry says. “But of course it has to match the FIFA World Cup™ Official Trophy. The gold, that vintage green at the base. Every time it comes around you remember what it felt like… and how tough it would be to watch if you hadn’t won.”
A country, a mix, a message
France ’98 was bigger than sport. “We represented the Black‑Blanc‑Beur identity – a true mix of the country,” Henry says. “Winning wasn’t just sporting. It was social, human, symbolic.”
The celebrations were beautiful chaos – Champs‑Élysées, family nearby, people everywhere. “We had to escape through a back door at Galeries Lafayette,” he laughs. “But the energy was pure love and joy.”
“Just playing for your country is hard. Staying at the level to be selected again is harder. Performing at a World Cup is harder still. But the World Cup is the pinnacle.”
The pressure that follows
Winning early helps; it also sets a bar you have to carry. “You win young and people think you should win again,” Henry says. “At the highest level, nothing is guaranteed. After ’98 people said we only won because it was at home. So we wanted to prove it outside, and we did at Euro 2000. Then it becomes: ‘Can you do it again?’ You can never relax.”
Inside the dressing room
For Henry, the final snapshot is strangely elusive. “I didn’t take it in,” he says. “I was too young, too busy celebrating. I never rewatch the final. Sometimes I see clips and think, ‘I never saw that.’ Later in my career I observed everything. In ’98, I wish I had.”
What he does remember is the release. “Even at 3–0 you’re nervous,” he says. “When the whistle blew I thought, ‘Okay. It’s done.’ Then everything releases – screaming, celebrating, running.”
The bottle in the ritual
Would the Tequila Don Julio 1942 FIFA World Cup 2026™ Edition bottle become part of celebrations next time? “Yes, though it’s so nice you almost don’t want to open it,” Henry grins. “My mum wouldn’t have: ‘Don’t touch it!’ But celebration brings people together. With Tequila Don Julio, you celebrate with whoever is around you.”
The hardest tournament, the broadest embrace
Henry’s relationship with the FIFA World Cup™ has evolved – player, mentor, assistant coach. “Now I have three medals at home – gold, silver, bronze – in different roles,” he says. “Just playing for your country is hard. Staying at the level to be selected again is harder. Performing at a World Cup is harder still. But the World Cup is the pinnacle.”
It’s also universal. “Everyone watches it — even if they don’t watch football,” he says. “Bars, homes, everywhere. You might lose, I might win — but we’re part of the same moment. That’s what sport does.”
Advice for the young players heading into the FIFA World Cup 26™
“Take everything in,” Henry says. “When you win young, you think it’s normal. Enjoy every single thing, because you might not be back.”
Mexico, memories, and what comes next
On 2026 crossing borders – United States, Mexico, Canada – Henry lights up at the thought of Mexico’s football culture. “We all remember ’70 and ’86,” he says. “Mexico is a football country. The love they have makes it perfect to host again.”
The wider campaign, directed by Stillz, leans into that sense of nostalgia and fantasy – the return of Joga TV energy, iconic moments built to live forever. Henry’s story fits: a young player who won at home and then spent a career chasing the feeling, respecting the craft, and finding joy in the ability to compete.
Available nationwide on April 2, 2026, the Tequila Don Julio 1942 FIFA World Cup 2026™ Edition is priced at $225 for 750ml and $17.99 for 50ml.
