Thomas Mueller Archives

German great Mueller has goal ruled out on MLS debut for Vancouver

Thomas Mueller made his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut on Sunday as a second-half substitute for Vancouver Whitecaps in a 1-1 draw with Houston Dynamo that left the Germany great with “mixed feelings” after he had a goal disallowed for offside.

Vancouver were up 1-0 courtesy of Brian White’s sixth-minute penalty when the former Bayern Munich striker Mueller entered the contest to a massive ovation in the 61st minute.

Mueller, a World Cup-winner with Germany whose storied tenure at Bayern included 13 Bundesliga titles, had made his way into Vancouver’s BC Place stadium through a throng of excited supporters, high-fiving and shaking hands as he went.

The Whitecaps had officially unveiled their new signing on Thursday, a week after he inked a deal through the end of the 2025 season with an option for 2026.

The crowd of 26,301 stood and cheered when he was introduced before kickoff, and Mueller applauded fans in return.

Minutes after entering the game Mueller blasted a ball into the back of the net, but it was ruled offside.

“Mixed feelings, mixed feelings,” the 35-year-old said. “The result is disappointing, to be honest.

“But, yeah, I came in at my first moment directly with my first goal here. The crowd was going crazy, but then it was taken off for offside.

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“We have to take the next steps in the next game,” he added after seeing Houston’s Artur grab the equalizer with a long-range blast in the first minute of second-half injury time.

“But I’m very happy to be here. I think the crowd was amazing.”

The draw left Vancouver Whitecaps in third place in the Western Conference on 46 points, six behind conference leaders San Diego and one back of Minnesota.

San Diego moved to the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings for best overall record — ahead of Eastern Conference leaders Cincinnati on goal difference — with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday.

“We had to win it clear,” Thomas Mueller said. “We had to get big chances. But in the end, yeah, it’s soccer and it can happen.”

He was happy to have his first MLS match under his belt and looking forward to settling in after a whirlwind first week.

“I’m happy now that my first game is in the books,” said the German, who joined Bayern’s youth program in 2000 and then called the club home for 25 years.

“I can start next week, just a regular week,” he said.

“I just have to settle down today after this game in my apartment and think about what happened this week — it was crazy stuff.”

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German great Thomas Mueller signs with Vancouver Whitecaps

Bayern Munich and Germany forward Thomas Mueller has signed with Major League Soccer (MLS) side Vancouver Whitecaps, the Canadian club announced on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old has signed through the end of the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026, Vancouver said.

Mueller announced earlier this year that he would be departing from Bayern Munich, his home for 25 years. His tenure included 13 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League triumphs.

“I’m looking forward to coming to Vancouver to help this team win a championship,” Mueller said in a statement. “I’ve heard great things about the city, but first and foremost, I’m coming to win.

“I’ve had great conversations with Axel Schuster and Jesper Sorensen, and now I can’t wait to play in front of the supporters and to see all of the fans come out to BC Place as we head towards the playoffs.”

Thomas Mueller joined the Vancouver Whitecaps, currently second in the Western Conference, one point behind leaders San Diego, but with one match in hand.

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“He not only brings a winning pedigree and exceptional football intelligence, but also a tireless work ethic that will elevate the entire team,” Whitecaps chief executive Schuster said in a statement.

“Thomas is a natural leader whose passion for the game is infectious. This is a statement signing by our club and our ownership — a transformative moment for our club and our city. We are proud to welcome Thomas to Vancouver.”

Restricted mainly to a substitute’s role in the 2024-25 campaign, Mueller made 49 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals.

He retired from international duty in 2024, having won the World Cup with Germany in 2014.

He finished his international career with 131 caps, scoring 45 goals.

There had been brief speculation that he would land with Los Angeles FC, but the Whitecaps announcement came on the same day that LAFC were expected to confirm the signing of South Korean star Son Heung-min.

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Thomas Mueller eyes one final title as Bayern Munich exit draws near

Bayern Munich veteran Thomas Mueller can win his 13th league title with a victory at RB Leipzig on Saturday, as his summer departure after 25 seasons at the club draws near.

Eight points clear of defending champions Bayer Leverkusen with three games remaining, Bayern will clinch the title if they beat Leipzig this weekend.

Bayern’s last league win at Leipzig came in 2021. If the Bavarians falter, they will still wrap up the Bundesliga crown if Leverkusen fail to beat Freiburg on Sunday.

Another league title would be a fitting farewell for Mueller, who joined Bayern at the age of 10 and played his 500th Bundesliga game last week.

A one-club player, Thomas Mueller has amassed a remarkable 32 trophies with Bayern, including two Champions Leagues, but will leave at the end of the season after he was not offered a contract extension.

No player has ever won 13 Bundesliga titles and only Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs has hit that mark in any of Europe’s top five leagues.

“It sounds good, doesn’t it?” Mueller said of the record in an interview with the Bundesliga website on Wednesday.

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“I won my first title in 2010. You’re holding something heavy in your hands, and it gives you the feeling that it’s not really easy to win the thing.

“There’s always a lot of work, and you have to perform over a long period. That’s why the satisfaction when you win the league trophy is greater than the Champions League or the German Cup.”

With his departure edging closer, Thomas Mueller has been celebrated by fans at home and away, but has been quick to remind everyone he is not on a farewell tour — and that there is a title at stake.

“On the topic of pride, I’m someone who lives life looking forward rather than looking back too much,” said Mueller. “Looking back is nice, and then you can toast to it and ask: ‘What are you doing tomorrow?'”

At the other end of the table, Bochum will be the first side relegated if they lose at Heidenheim on Friday.

Bochum’s struggles this season have come not against the top teams, but against mid-table sides and fellow relegation battlers.

Bochum have only won two of their past 14 games, but those wins came against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

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Thomas Mueller to leave Bayern Munich after 25 years

Bayern Munich legend Thomas Mueller confirmed on Saturday that the club will not offer him a new contract, bringing an end to his 25-year career with the Bundesliga giants at the end of the campaign.

The 35-year-old, whose contract was set to expire in the summer, said in a post on social media that the decision was made by the club and “not what I would have wished”.

Mueller said he did not like how the contract saga played out “back and forth in public” in recent months, but he “felt the appreciation from everyone involved after my long time with Bayern”.

“The special connection to the club and our fantastic fans will always remain,” he said.

Mueller came through the Bayern junior system and has won two Champions Leagues, along with 12 Bundesliga titles.

His focus was now on “bringing the league title back to Munich” as well as reaching this season’s Champions League final, which will be held in Bayern’s Allianz Arena home.

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Later on Saturday, Bayern issued a statement saying Mueller would be honoured with a testimonial match and that the midfielder would play at the Club World Cup in July.

“Thomas Mueller had the definition of a Bavarian fairytale career,” club president Herbert Hainer said.

Mueller was born in the nearby Bavarian town of Weilheim and joined the club aged 10, making his debut under coach Jurgen Klinsmann in 2008 against a Hamburg side featuring current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

A one-club player, Mueller’s 743 matches for Bayern in all competitions is the most in the team’s history. He has registered 247 goals and 273 assists for the club in that time.

In recent seasons, Mueller has started from the bench more regularly, leading to growing speculation that he could leave the club.

The midfielder did not reveal where he would play next season, although German media has speculated he could make a late-career move to the United States of America (USA) to play in the MLS.

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Germany’s Thomas Mueller announces retirement from international football

Germany striker Thomas Mueller said on Monday he was drawing a line under his 14-year career with the national team following the conclusion of Euro 2024.

“After 131 national team games and 45 goals, I am saying goodbye,” Mueller said in a video statement announcing his decision.

Mueller, who turns 35 in September, was a key member of the German team that won the 2014 World Cup, beating Argentina in the final after extra time.

“When I played my first international match for the German national team over 14 years ago, I could never have dreamed of all this,” Mueller said in the video.

“Great victories and bitter defeats. Sometimes on the floor, only to get back up again,” he said. “It always made me very proud to play for my country. We celebrated together and sometimes shed a tear together.”

Germany’s 2-1 loss to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 will go down as Mueller’s last game for the national team.

A late extra-time goal by Spain’s Mikel Merino dashed Germany’s hopes of winning the tournament on home soil.

A tearful Mueller hinted after the game that he had played his last game for Germany.

Mueller said he would hold talks with national team coach Julian Nagelsmann and decide whether it was the “sensible option” to step aside in favour of younger players.

Following Mueller’s announcement, Nagelsmann lauded his qualities as a player, adding that the German team would “miss him very much”.

“Nobody is like Thomas Mueller,” said Rudi Voeller, the Germany national team director and a prolific striker in his own right. “His value to German football cannot be overestimated,” Voeller said in a statement.

Mueller was “unorthodox, intuitive, unpredictable and that is precisely why (he) is successful”, Voeller said.

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Mueller won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup in his debut year with the national team, scoring five goals at the tournament in South Africa.

The charismatic striker also scored the opening goal in Germany’s famous 7-1 victory over the hosts Brazil in the 2014 World Cup on their way to lifting the title.

Of the players to have won the World Cup with Germany that year, only goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is still involved in the national team set-up.

Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos announced before Euro 2024 that he would retire from football after the tournament.

Unlike Kroos, Mueller will continue to play for his club Bayern Munich, where he is under contract until 2025.

“The younger generation doesn’t know the national team without Thomas Mueller and I can’t really imagine it without him,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said in a statement.

“I’m delighted that Thomas will continue to play for our club.”

With 131 appearances under Mueller’s belt, only Lothar Matthaeus and Miroslav Klose have played more games for Germany.

Mueller also ranks sixth on Germany’s all-time scoring list behind Klose and Voeller, among others, and level with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

“His achievements and his titles speak for themselves,” German Football Association president Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement.

“With his goals and his ingenuity, he played a key role in shaping one of the most successful periods in the history of our national team,” Neuendorf said.

In his goodbye message, Mueller called on fans to “keep your fingers crossed for the team on the way to the 2026 World Cup”.

“I’m doing that too. Now as a fan in the stands and no longer as a player on the pitch.”

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Thomas Mueller extends with Bayern Munich until 2025

Veteran Bayern Munich attacker Thomas Mueller has extended his deal by one year to 2025, the Bavarian club announced on Tuesday.

“I’m happy my journey at FC Bayern is continuing. I want to play my part in us remaining successful, both as a team and the whole club,” Mueller said in a statement.

Thomas Mueller’s contract was set to expire at the end of this season.

Calling Mueller “quality and reliability personified”, Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said the veteran was “a leader on and off the pitch, always a role model and incredibly valuable for the entire team”.

Despite wearing the captain’s armband several times this season, the 34-year-old has received less game time under coach Thomas Tuchel, enjoying just five league starts.

Mueller has become synonymous with the Bavarian giants and has been at Bayern for more than two decades, having joined as a 10-year-old in 2000 from village club TSV Paehl, located just 50 kilometres from Munich.

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A two-time Champions League winner, Thomas Mueller has won 12 Bundesliga titles with Bayern in a career spanning 684 games, scoring 237 goals and providing 261 assists.

Only former Bayern goalkeeper Sepp Maier has played more games for the club and only Gerd Mueller, with 568, and Robert Lewandowski, with 344, have more goals for the club.

For Germany, Mueller was first called up in March of 2010, where he played in a 1-0 defeat to Argentina.

Since then, the attacker has played 126 games, scoring 45 times and winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Mueller was left out of the Germany squad after their group-stage exit at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, with many expecting his time with the four-time World Cup winners was over.

However, he was recalled in September, scoring a goal in a 2-1 win over France, and looks likely to play a role in next year’s home European Championship under former Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann.

In November, Thomas Mueller’s captain and long-time teammate Manuel Neuer, 37, also extended his deal by a season to 2025.

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