Major League Soccer has recently added two global stars who will undoubtedly raise the tournament’s level of competition. Son Heung-min will play for Los Angeles FC, and Thomas Muller is now part of Vancouver Whitecaps. Upon his arrival, the German forward spoke about his goals for this new stage of his career.
“I’m looking forward to coming to Vancouver to help this team win a championship,” said Muller, according to the club’s official website, after being officially announced as the newest addition to the roster. “I’ve heard great things about the city, but first and foremost I’m coming to win.”
These are bold words from the German star. He’s used to competing for major trophies at both club and international level, but now joins a team still chasing its first titles outside of Canada. So far, the Whitecaps have never won MLS, the Leagues Cup, or the Concacaf Champions Cup, with their only successes coming domestically in the Canadian Championship, where they’ve claimed the last three titles in a row.
“I’ve had great conversations with Axel Schuster and Jesper Sorensen,” Muller revealed, referring to Vancouver’s sporting director and head coach. “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 Muller won the FIFA World Cup with Germany in 2014.
For Thomas, this will be his first experience outside Germany. Until now, he had spent his entire professional career with Bayern Munich, where he debuted in 2008. Over 17 seasons, the forward played 756 matches, scored 250 goals, and won 33 titles—including two UEFA Champions League trophies.
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Thomas Müller joins MLS: How much will he earn compared to Lionel Messi and Heung-Min Son?
How are Vancouver Whitecaps doing this season?
Thomas Muller joins a team with serious short-term ambitions. Vancouver were runners-up in this year’s Concacaf Champions Cup, where they eliminated Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the semifinals before falling 5–0 to Cruz Azul in the final.
That setback didn’t slow down the Whitecaps, who are having a strong campaign in MLS. They currently sit in second place in the Eastern Conference standings, just one point behind leaders San Diego FC—and with one game in hand. They are also in the semifinals of the Canadian Championship, where they’ll face Forge FC next Wednesday in the first leg.
Another World Cup winner in MLS
Thomas Muller brings not only talent and experience to MLS but also the prestige of being a World Cup champion. He won soccer’s most important title in 2014 with Germany and becomes the fifth active World Cup winner currently playing in MLS. The other cases are Hugo Lloris at LAFC and, of course, Inter Miami’s superstars: Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Rodrigo De Paul.
