Thomas Muller Downplays Past Successes Against Messi Ahead of MLS Cup Final

Thomas Muller 

Vancouver Whitecaps star Thomas Muller says past wins against Lionel Messi are 'irrelevant' ahead of MLS Cup final against Inter Miami.

“It gives you a little bit of a good feeling. But in the end, the game is decided on the pitch and on Saturday, in the future...”

Thomas Muller, the star player of Vancouver Whitecaps, is downplaying his past successes against Lionel Messi, saying they won't matter in Saturday's MLS Cup final against Inter Miami. Muller has a winning record against Messi, having won seven of their 10 meetings, including Germany's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final.

Muller emphasized that past results are “irrelevant” and that the game will be decided on the pitch. “I look back in the past and I feel very comfortable with that, because that's already in the books, and I had a lot of great experience in these games with my teams, so it was fun,” Muller said. “But it doesn't really matter for Saturday, it's a new game.”

“I look back in the past, and I feel very comfortable with that, because that's already in the books, and I had a lot of great experience in these games with my teams, so it was fun,” said Muller, whose wins against Messi include Germany's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final.

“But it doesn't really matter for Saturday, it's a new game,” Muller added.

“Maybe it gives you the feeling that I always have my confidence to beat someone or to compete with someone as a team and as an individual. So I don't need my history that much to be confident.”

Thomas Muller downplayed the significance of Vancouver's dominance over Inter Miami in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-finals, saying “They won against Inter Miami this season twice. But what does it mean?” He emphasized that past results don't guarantee future success, adding, “It gives you a little bit of good feeling. But in the end, the game is decided on the pitch and on Saturday -- in the future.”

Muller also highlighted the strength of Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, saying “I think Miami's a very strong team. We saw them beating New York in quite a really strong manner.” He emphasized that the MLS Cup final will be a challenging match, and Vancouver needs to be prepared.

“They won against Inter Miami twice this season. But what does it mean?” Muller said.

“It gives you a little bit of a good feeling. But in the end, the game is decided on the pitch and on Saturday, in the future.

“So it's a nice thing to talk about, and I hope we can continue to talk about it Saturday after the game.”

A lot has changed since April, but @WhitecapsFC already have a big win over Miami in 2025. 👀

📍 @TheChampions Semifinals

They meet again this Saturday in MLS Cup pres. by Audi. pic.twitter.com/sZGvsF56oH

— Major League Soccer 🏆 (@MLS) December 4, 2025

Muller has a wealth of experience playing against Messi, including Bayern Munich's 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona in the 2020 Champions League quarter-finals, where he scored twice and was named man-of-the-match. He's also faced Messi in the 2014 World Cup final, where Germany won 1-0, and in Bayern's 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2023 Champions League.

These past encounters won't give Muller an edge in Saturday's MLS Cup final, as he focuses on the present. “I look back in the past and I feel very comfortable with that, but it doesn't really matter for Saturday,” he said, emphasizing that the game will be decided on the pitch.