Thierry Henry mobbed by Panama players while working pitchside in wild last-minute scenes
Thierry Henry’s legendary aura was summed up on Thursday night in California.
The Arsenal legend was swamped by Panama’s players in shock scenes after they scored a stoppage time winner against the United States.
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The two sides had played out a scoreless 90 minutes in the CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals, but in the fourth minute of stoppage time Cecilio Waterman swept a winner past Crystal Palace’s Matt Turner.
Running to the side of the pitch, Waterman leapt over the boards to where CBS had a studio set up and grabbed Henry.
The Premier League icon was in complete shock, just mouthing 'wow' as Waterman’s teammates joined in with the mobbing.
Later, Waterman gave Henry a signed shirt and said he was expecting a signed Arsenal one in return.
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Explaining the exchange, he said: “Last night, at the team hotel, I was asked ‘who is your idol?' and I said ‘it’s always been Thierry Henry.’
“I watched him play at Arsenal, and the truth is, ever since I was a young kid he will be an inspiration for me.
“Since I was a boy. I scored the goal, I saw you and I knew I had to come and say hi.”
Henry added: “I never thought I was going to be part of a celebration like that and not scoring the goal and not even being on the field.
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"That’s what it meant to him. I saw in his eyes because he was pretty close, that he was in a trance. Thank God I understand Spanish.
“When he said ‘eres mi idolo’ I was like OK, phew. I don’t know where we were going there, but that was special.”
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Henry's fellow pundits were in shock, with former Tottenham and Fulham man Clint Dempsey getting out the way as his US side were beaten.
Host Kate Scott was enjoying the moment, while at the side of the screen Hollywood star Terry Crews was taking it in.
Crews caught the scenes on his phone and later posted them alongside a picture with Waterman.
"So happy to be here for this ICONIC MOMENT!" he wrote.
Henry is a legend in Europe as Arsenal's record goalscorer and a 2009 European treble winner with Barcelona.
However, he also played in the US, making 135 appearances for New York Red Bulls between 2010 and 2014.
The result means that Panama will face Mexico in the Nations League final on Sunday, while the US are set for a spicy third-place match against Canada on Saturday.
The north American neighbours last faced off in the 4-Nations NHL hockey tournament and things got very heated due to the current political landscape.
US president Donald Trump has placed tariffs on Canada and talked up the country becoming the US's 51st state.
Canada fans have booed the US national anthem, while their first hockey meeting saw three fights in nine seconds.
Canada's football manager, former Leeds man Jesse Marsch, is American, and showed what side he was on while speaking to the media.
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“If I have one message to our president, it’s lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state,” he said.
“As an American, I’m ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we’ve shown one of our historically oldest, strongest and most loyal allies.”