Thomas Müller versus Lionel Messi: The duel between the two stars outshines the MLS final.
A dream final against superstar Lionel Messi? For Thomas Müller, there can be “nothing better than playing against the GOAT, against Messi – and beating him? If you’re the best, you’re the hunted,” said the 36-year-old full of anticipation before the eagerly awaited showdown in Major League Soccer (MLS) on Saturday (8:30 p.m.).
The league couldn’t have wished for a more glamorous end to the season: Inter Miami against the Vancouver Whitecaps, world champion Messi against world champion Müller – all eyes will be on the “eternal” duel at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The fight for the crown in North American football couldn’t be more glamorous.
“This has been the final that everyone has been talking about since the beginning of my time in the MLS. And now the time has come. It will be a madhouse in Miami, a real football festival according to my taste,” emphasized Müller. But, the Bayern icon added relaxed: “It’s not about Messi against Thomas Müller, but about Miami against the Whitecaps. We’re playing against a team, not against a player.”
Müller wants to become a party crasher for Messi again
But Inter Miami is, above all, Messi. And when the 38-year-old Argentine thinks of Thomas Müller, he is inevitably reminded of some of the bitterest defeats of his great career. In ten duels with Müller, the seven-time world footballer has lost out seven times so far.
Above all, the defeat on July 13, 2014 in the World Cup final against Germany (0:1 nV) is likely to still give Messi sleepless nights. In addition, the Argentinian’s “horrible” record against Müller includes a cracking 0:4 in the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals, as well as an embarrassing 2:8 in the quarter-finals of the 2020 Champions League or a 0:4 in the semi-finals of the 2013 premier class with Barcelona against FC Bayern.
Now the German wants to become a party crasher for Messi again. After the semi-final against San Diego FC (3-1), it was immediately clear: “Job is not done. One step is still missing,” said Müller: “I liked that. That’s what I know from FC Bayern – a semi-final is nice, but logically it’s always about the whole mess.”
Müller is aiming for his 36th title
And Müller definitely wants to get it this time too. It would be the 36th title for the most successful German footballer. Then at the latest they would finally build a monument to the Munich legend in Vancouver. The “Raumdeuter” has already taken the fans’ hearts by storm; Müller shines as a goalscorer, preparer and leading figure. Above all, he instilled an unprecedented winning mentality in his teammates.
However, the Whitecaps’ game is not just tailored to Müller – as is the case with Miami despite other stars such as Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets or Jordi Alba with Messi. The Argentine, 2022 world champion, is indispensable with 29 goals and 16 assists in the regular season and six goals and five assists in the play-offs.
“They rely on him a little more than we rely on me,” said Müller: “We don’t have that one really great player.” But Vancouver has Thomas Müller, who has annoyed “GOAT” Messi often enough.