Former Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has joined the Vancouver White Cats with arguably the biggest signature in club history.
Muller, who won the World Cup against Germany in 2014, will be in the White Cap for the remainder of the season.
The terms of the transaction were not announced. Includes 2026 designated player options.
“Whitecaps – Let’s make history,” Muller said in a video posted online Wednesday showing the release of a Vancouver jersey.
The 35-year-old Muller spent the past 17 years in Bayern Munich and the Bundesliga in Germany, helping the club win 13 league championships and a total of 33 titles during that period. He scored 250 goals in 756 appearances with Bayern in all competitions, but his contract was not renewed after last season.
Muller scored five goals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He also scored five goals in South Africa’s 2010 World Cup and won the Golden Boots.
Muller’s final match against Bayern came this summer at the Club World Cup, losing 2-0 to Atlanta’s Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals. He joined the match as a slow replacement.
Mueller joined the Bayern academy in 2000 as a 10-year-old. He made his senior debut under Jurgen Klinsmann in 2008, and his breakthrough was under Louis Van Girl the following season.
In a joint statement in April, the club announced it will be his final season. In a social media post, Mueller said he understood Bayern’s decision as “even though this doesn’t reflect my personal desires.”
“Thomas Muller is the definition of Bayern fairy tale career. He grew up in Bayern and Bayern,” said club president Herbert Heiner. “So far, no one has won 33 trophies.
Muller retired from international soccer After last year’s European ChampionshipHe scored 45 goals in Germany’s 131 appearances.
Whitecaps has acquired Müller’s MLS discovery rights from FC Cincinnati in exchange for general allocation funds of up to $400,000 to complete the signature. He occupies an international roster.
“Thomas is a natural leader whose passion for the game is contagious. This is a statement signed by our club and our ownership. It’s a transformative moment for the club and the city.”
Muller is scheduled to arrive in Vancouver next week. His first practice with the club and an introductory press conference are scheduled for Thursday.
In a video provided by Whitecaps, Müller said: “They (fans) can expect me to be 100% at all times. You can see my skills on YouTube videos and in some TV shows, but I can expect to be totally engrossed in it. That’s the most important part.”
Whitecaps (13-5-6) is currently second in the MLS Western Conference standings behind the expanded San Diego FC.
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