Inter Miami star Lionel Messi and Vancouver Whitecaps ace Thomas Müller will both feature in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Dec. 6.
Inter Miami, who finished third with 65 points in the Eastern Conference table, advanced to their first-ever MLS Cup final last week. Javier Mascherano’s side registered a commanding 5-1 win over New York City FC to win the Eastern Conference title on Nov. 29.
Vancouver, on the other hand, qualified for the MLS playoffs after finishing as the second seed in the Western Conference with 63 points. They also reached their maiden MLS Cup final last Saturday following their 3-1 win over San Diego FC at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.
Thomas Müller Boasts Better Head-to-Head Record Against Lionel Messi
Messi and Müller have faced each other on numerous occasions over the past 15 years. The Barcelona legend and the Bayern Munich great have met 11 times for club and country at senior level, with the latter’s team winning eight matches (via The Guardian).
The pair first faced each other in an international friendly between Argentina and Germany in March 2010, with La Albiceleste emerging victorious 1-0. The other two occasions where the Inter Miami man tasted success were Argentina’s 3-1 friendly win in August 2012 and Barcelona’s 3-0 UEFA Champions League victory over Bayern Munich in May 2015.
Meanwhile, Müller has a number of memorable wins against Messi’s side. He played a part in both of Bayern Munich’s 4-0 and 8-2 Champions League wins against Barcelona in April 2013 and August 2020, respectively. He also helped Germany defeat Argentina 1-0 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final.
READ MORE:Â Why Are Inter Miami the Home Side for MLS Cup Final?
Müller Offers Messi’s Inter Miami Reality Check
After guiding the Vancouver Whitecaps to the MLS Cup final, Müller claimed that Inter Miami relies too much on Lionel Messi in a post-match interaction.
“It’s not about Messi against Thomas Müller, it’s Miami against the Whitecaps. Maybe they rely a little bit more on him than we do on me, because we are such a good group, you know what I mean?,” the 36-year-old said (via MLS). “The nice thing about it is not only playing against the greatest player who played our game and is still playing our game, but it’s more that when you have a pairing like this, more people are watching,” he concluded.
Since arriving on a free transfer earlier this summer, the Bayern Munich academy graduate has registered nine goals and four assists in 12 total appearances for the Whitecaps.
