Thomas Muller Introductory Press Conference at Vancouver Whitecaps

The Bayern Munich icon explained his surprising move to MLS during his first media appearance, highlighting that his body felt too good to retire

Thomas Muller Introductory Press Conference at Vancouver Whitecaps

WHAT HAPPENED

Thomas Müller made his first public appearance as a Vancouver Whitecaps player at BC Place, explaining his decision to continue in MLS. The German international said his body felt too good to retire and that he was motivated by the challenge of new teammates and a different league over ending his career.

“It's not about winning titles in the past, it's winning titles in the future," Muller said in his introductory press conference when asked how he stays motivated. "That's what motivates me, or it's not about maybe not about the titles, about the competition. Competition with your team against other teams, your own competition against yourself, your own competition against your teammates to earn your spot."

He added, “And I was always a competitive guy during my whole life, and my love is, is to play soccer. And, my body feels even in my stage of my career too good to retire. You wish the same?..Yeah, you will you will prove it man, maybe when we talk in two weeks maybe you have different opinions. We will find out and we will find ways to handle it. Now, I'm very motivated. And I yeah, I'm happy to be.”

The World Cup winner emphasized that his move to MLS stems from his desire to face new competitive challenges rather than simply adding to his impressive collection of trophies.

“Now to be honest, yeah, I played so many years at Bayern in Europe and yeah, I'm very proud of this time,” Müller emphasized. “But for me, it was time also a little bit for an adventure, but an adventure for me is only interesting when it's about having the chance to go for titles. And yeah, if you watch the Vancouver Whitecaps this season and also the development in the last years, there is a chance.”

He went on to say that the club’s vision and environment made the move even more appealing.

“Not only this year, also next year. And these two guys showed me their ideas and their plans, and I felt quite comfortable from the beginning. And the second step was that Vancouver is already known in the whole world as maybe one of the best cities in the world. But that's the second part. My main part is the football, the soccer pitch, and I think the group we have not only has good players, they are very good people as well, and I'm looking forward to getting something new, something fresh, something I haven't experienced yet. So yeah, I'm very much looking forward to it.”

WHAT THOMAS MULLER SAID

The German international took a refreshingly candid approach, admitting he couldn't predict exactly how his game would need to evolve in the North American league. Rather than making bold proclamations about dominating MLS, Muller emphasized the ongoing process of adaptation ahead.

“I have no idea,” Muller said with a laugh. “We will find out, but that's the interesting thing about life. You have to prove it every day, especially in top sports leagues...We will find out if I can adapt to the league and to the teams and, yeah, but that's the interesting part.”

Muller praised the team's aggressive mentality and commitment to controlling games through possession, explaining that these stylistic elements played a significant role in his decision to select Vancouver as his destination after leaving Bayern Munich.

“I don't want to talk about quality. I want to talk about playing style, and we play active, and that's what I loved all my career, to play active soccer. To have the foot on the gas and to control the game in any stage of the game, you have to find different solutions. Sometimes, maybe you need to sit back, but in the end, it's about getting to the opponent's goal, scoring goals. And if I watch the game and when I talk to Jesper Sorensen, I think we were aligned, and we think very similarly about the game.”

Thomas Muller Bayern Monaco

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Muller signed for the Vancouver Whitecaps this summer after leaving Bayern Munich as a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season. He spent the last 20 years with the German giants, winning a catalogue of trophies, and left as their all-time record appearance holder.

Thomas Muller Introductory Press Conference at Vancouver Whitecaps

WHAT’S NEXT?

Muller will immediately begin integrating into Vancouver's tactical system during training sessions ahead of potential match involvement in coming weeks.