France 2010 Home Shirt - Henry #12 (L)

I found nothing to fault. The blue is deep and even, with no haze or faded areas, and the Climacool fabric shows no pilling. The three tricolour shoulder stripes are crisp, the white V-neck with gold trim is not stretched, and the red and white chevron pattern on the chest is intact from side to side. The HENRY 12 printing is smooth, with no cracking or lifting edges.

Unsure about the size? This L measures 55 x 78 cm: compare with the flat measurements below, or check my size guide.

Flat measurements

An adidas L from this era, straight-cut and with a good length, not clingy. Lay a shirt that fits you well flat, measure it the same way and compare.

✦ Lifetime authenticity guarantee

Checked by hand in my authentication workshop. If a piece bought from me ever turned out not to be authentic, I refund you in full. No expiry date: only original pieces, never modern reissues.

• adidas inner label: model code P41040, production date 12/09 and factory code APU002, cleanly printed on the satin (photo 4)
• Embroidered FFF crest: gold-thread rooster with red comb, the 1998 star above, framed FFF panel, dense stitching with no pulled threads (photo 3)
• Climacool weave: technical open mesh under the arms and Climacool mark at the bottom of the front (photo 2)
• Finishing: woven FFF / adidas neck label, « Fédération Française de Football » embroidered at the nape, tricolour stripes built into the shoulders (photos 1 and 2)

Thierry Henry's last World Cup

This is the shirt of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Les Bleus' last major tournament in adidas: the German brand had dressed France since 1972, and Nike took over in 2011. Tricolour chevrons on the chest, white V-neck and gold trim: the end of a long era.

18 November 2009: play-off second leg against Ireland at the Stade de France. William Gallas's 1-1 in extra time, after a Henry handball, sends France to the World Cup.

June 2010: 0-0 against Uruguay, a 2-0 defeat to Mexico and then 2-1 against South Africa. Les Bleus go out in the group stage.

World champion in 1998 and European champion in 2000, Henry ended his international career with 123 caps and 51 goals, the national record until 2022. For France he always wore 12: this printing is his number.

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