Thomas Müller Makes Superb Lionel Messi Claim Following MLS Debut
Thomas Müller is the latest star signing of MLS, after signing a contract with Vancouver Whitecaps through the end of the 2026 season. The German just arrived, but has already thrown down a challenge to Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi, reminding him of the time when Bayern Munich defeated FC Barcelona on several occasions.
Since Lionel Messi arrived in Major League Soccer, American soccer has continued its massive growth, and remains one of the most attractive leagues, if not the most attractive, on the American continent. Although MLS was already an interesting destination for European players in the final stretch of their careers, the Argentine star’s arrival in Miami opened even more doors for more stars to join the American championship. The most recent case is Müller, who, upon arriving at Vancouver Whitecaps, decided to issue a curious challenge to Messi. What did he have to say?
Thomas Müller Wants to ‘Hunt’ Lionel Messi In the MLS
In an interview with MLS, Müller recalled the time when Bayern Munich managed to stop Messi’s FC Barcelona, making clear it wasn’t easy and that on occasions, like in 2015, it was Barça who eliminated Bayern in the Champions League.
The 35-year-old German soccer player even mentioned the “GOAT” debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and the Argentine, noting that although for years he mostly highlighted the Portuguese’s work ethic, nowadays he prefers Messi for the “elegance” in his game.
Anyway, after showering praise on Inter Miami’s number 10, Müller dropped, in a joking tone, a very direct threat saying, “I will hunt you again.” Unfortunately for the German, the Whitecaps will not face the team coached by Javier Mascherano this season, unless they meet in the MLS Cup final.
In fact, the last match between both squads was in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal, a match where Vancouver eliminated Miami 3-1 (5-1 aggregate), to advance to the grand final of the most important tournament of the North American and Caribbean confederation.
A Look At the Müller-Messi Head-To-Head Record
Müller and Messi have faced each other 10 times throughout their careers, and the German has come out victorious in seven of those matches, according to Transfermarkt. These meetings have been both at the national team level and club level, with the Argentine being the only one to play for more than one team, as he also represented PSG in the Champions League.
In fact, the last time both met was precisely in the 2022-23 season, when Bayern crossed paths with Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. The first leg ended with a score of 0-1 in favor of the German side, while the return leg ended 2-0 in favor of the Bavarian club.
The only three times Messi beat Müller were in the 2009-10 season (Germany 0-1 Argentina), the 2012-13 campaign (Germany 1-3 Argentina), and the 2014-15 season, when Barça defeated Bayern 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.
