Arsene Wenger is backing Thierry Henry's call for France's controversial World Cup play-off against Ireland to be replayed.

Fifa had earlier ruled against sanctioning a replay, stating that under the laws of the game the decisions of the referee are final, but pressure for it is building in the wake of Henry's statement that it would represent the "fairest solution" to the controversy caused by his handball that set up the goal that sent France to the finals.

"I support France and it is embarrassing to qualify the way we qualified," Wenger, the Arsenal manager said. "We want to beat Ireland properly and that didn't happen.

Wenger has enormous sympathy for Henry, who has been pilloried as a cheat for failing to alert the referee to the handball. "Football and sport in general is full of heroes who have cheated ten times more than Thierry," he said. "People who bought referees, who took drugs, they are the real cheats in sport.

"Thierry Henry has years of fair behaviour behind him and he today is singled out in the wrong way.

"A player of his stature has a massive pressure on his shoulders and if somebody has to do something for Thierry, it is French football and France as a country, not to leave him out there alone against the whole world.

"France has to say 'Yes, it was a handball and we offer a replay.'"