The offseason is now here for Arsenal and their supporters, but the downtime won’t last very long! The World Cup has already commenced, as we speak, and by the time it’s over on July 19, training camps will have already opened. Then it’s on to the preseason, which we’ll cover later on in this post. For now, let’s take note of Arsenal football club wishing their only goal scorer (in regular or extra time) of the Champions League Final, Kai Havertz, a very happy 27th birthday.
Havertz scored in the 6′ of the UCL final on Sat. May 30.
Happy birthday, Kai ❤️ pic.twitter.com/iaSKfpJ4V6
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 11, 2026
Then the following Saturday, June 6 in Chicago, Havertz scored very early on again, this time in the 2′ for Germany in their final warm-up before the World Cup. The Germans went on to beat the United States 2-1 in a match that was overflowing with World Cup fever.
Striking early and often in big games, it’s what Havertz does.
Thank you Chicago ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/8WXVuKWq8q
— Kai Havertz (@kaihavertz29) June 8, 2026
Ahead of the UCL finale, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry took part in the CBS Sports media conference call previewing the big game. He provided wonderful insight when asked by a reporter about Havertz and what he brings to the table (read that here).
Henry is just as elite as analyst/commentator as he was a player, and his greatness has been further recognized by the city of New York. 50th Street and Sixth Avenue, in NYC, hs been renamed “Thierry Henry Way.”
The new street sign honor was revealed yesterday, and it will stay in place until November.
The only other football icon with a street renamed after him in New York City (at least right now) is Pele.
Henry is currently doing TV commentating work for FOX during the World Cup while Havertz is obviously leading the line for Germany at the tournament.
As for when Arsenal will play again, well, they only have one confirmed preseason fixture this summer. They’ll play in Dublin, Ireland on Aug. 5 against Real Betis at Aviva Stadium. Given how they played in the final competitive match of the 2025-26 season (the UCL final loss to PSG) across all of Europe, the time off is deserved.
After all, Arsenal will be competing in the Community Shield on Aug. 16 against FA Cup winners Manchester City as well.
The “curtain raiser,” which is both a preseason match and a trophy contest, will get here before you know it.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.