Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Thomas Muller has faced Inter Miami attacker Lionel Messi multiple times over the course of his professional career. However, the German failed to get the better of the Argentine captain in their last meeting.
Now, the German and Bayern Munich legend has shared his honest thoughts on Messi.
Thomas Muller Opens Up on Relationship With Lionel Messi
During a recent chat with Suddeutsche Zeitung, the 36-year-old was asked to offer his two cents on his apparent long-standing rivalry with the record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“We don’t know each other very well. We’re companions but it’s never really become personal between us or degenerated into a huge rivalry. I’ve been part of teams that played against teams for whom Messi was much bigger than I was for my teams. But I have managed to tease him a few times! Because I was involved in a few goals that he felt,” Muller responded (via FotMob).
Muller also labelled Messi as the best player of all time, highlighting the latter’s abilities.
“Let’s just say there’s mutual respect. He’s unique, irreplaceable, and, as I see it, the best! Messi combines numbers, facts, and results-oriented football with aesthetics. And you won’t find that anywhere else to this extent. Messi can do almost anything. He even heads the ball,” the Vancouver Whitecaps attacking midfielder added.
Over the last 15 years or so, Muller has faced the Inter Miami captain 12 times at the senior level, both for club and country. He holds the edge over the Barcelona icon with eight wins, with the latter emerging victorious in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final earlier this month.
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Asked to opine on Vancouver Whitecaps’ recent 3-1 MLS Cup final loss against Messi’s side, the 13-time Bundesliga winner claimed that his duel with the Argentine was respectful.
“The whole game was blown out of proportion by the media, becoming a Messi vs. Muller match. For me, it was all about the MLS Cup. I don’t know how much attention he paid to it. For me, our encounter felt very respectful. We had never met as captains at the center circle before. And our really big moments together are also a thing of the past; the last one was in Barcelona in 2020,” Muller replied.
Muller, who lost his first encounter against Messi for Germany in 2010, has a host of notable wins over the Heron’s man. He was part of Bayern Munich’s 4-0 and 8-2 Champions League wins over Barcelona in 2013 and 2020, while also winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup final.
