Robert Pires Picks Dennis Bergkamp Over Thierry Henry as His Best Teammate

As someone who has spent way too many hours watching old Premier League highlights between ranked matches, I can tell you Robert Pires was an absolute cheat code. The French wizard won the World Cup and European Championships before touching down in north London in 2000, then spent six glorious years making defenders question their career choices. He collected the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award in 2001–02 as Arsenal stormed to a dominant double, and he was a key piece of the legendary Invincibles side in 2004.

Here is the thing though. When a guy like Pires has shared a dressing room with Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, one question becomes inevitable: who was actually the best?

The International Crown Goes to Zidane

Spoiler alert: it was not straightforward. Pires himself acknowledged two different answers depending on the shirt he was wearing. With France, he did not hesitate. Zinedine Zidane was the man.

'With the national team it would be Zinedine Zidane. He was one of the best players in the world and it was a privilege for me because I learnt a lot from training with him,' Pires said.

That is fair. Sharing a training pitch with Zidane sounds like attending a masterclass where the teacher regularly embarrasses elite professionals just by controlling a ball.

But Arsenal Had a Different King

For Arsenal, Pires did not pick the obvious name. He mentioned Thierry Henry, obviously, because Henry is Arsenal's all-time record goalscorer and basically a walking highlight reel. Then he dropped the bombshell.

'With Arsenal, there was Thierry Henry but I think the best was Dennis Bergkamp.'

Pardon me while I pause for dramatic effect. Not Henry. Bergkamp.

The Dutchman was a genius on the pitch. You know that ridiculous turn and finish against Newcastle from a Robert Pires pass? Yeah, that one, still replayed every single season. It remains one of the greatest goals in Premier League history. I have watched it so many times my algorithm now assumes I am a Newcastle supporter working through decades of trauma.

Why Bergkamp's Magic Still Makes Sense in 2026

Nobody with a functioning brain doubts Henry. The legendary forward won virtually everything available in the game and reached levels that made defenders wake up in cold sweats. But a professional like Pires saw things we never see from the stands or even from our consoles. Bergkamp's technique, his footballing brain, his first touch, and his ability to slow the game down before killing it with one pass were apparently beautiful to witness on a daily basis.

Let me put that into a quick comparison because I am a nerd and tables calm me down.

Some fans will rage about this. That is fine. Football opinions are supposed to be loud. But when a guy who shared the pitch with both legends picks Bergkamp, it carries a little more weight than a heated comment section.

Henry fans should not panic. Pires clearly loved playing with Henry and highlighted how special he was. Yet the Dutchman had something different. Bergkamp operated like a chess grandmaster wearing football boots, always two moves ahead of everyone else. That kind of intelligence does not always show up on the scoresheet, but it wins titles.

So next time someone tells you Thierry Henry was the undisputed king of that Arsenal side, just pull up the Pires quote and enjoy the chaos. Even legends have their favourites, and for Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp was the beautiful problem solver nobody could stop. Now if you will excuse me, my console is loading another replay of that Newcastle goal.