Thomas Müller reveals key difference between Whitecaps and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami ahead of MLS Cup
Thomas Müller arrived at the Vancouver Whitecaps with plenty of attention, and in less than six months he has already helped the club make history by winning the Western Conference title for the first time. Now set to face Lionel Messi in the 2025 MLS Cup, the German legend has pointed out the key difference between the Whitecaps and Inter Miami.
On Saturday evening, Inter Miami lifted their first Eastern Conference trophy with a dominant 5-1 win over New York City FC at Chase Stadium. Hours later, the Whitecaps followed by claiming the Western Conference crown with a 3-1 road victory over San Diego FC, setting up the marquee Messi vs. Müller showdown in none other than the MLS Cup final.
After the game, Müller spoke with Apple TV and looked ahead to the matchup with the Herons: “I know you want to talk about history, maybe for Apple TV it would be nice if I said a tough line or anything else. But, I enjoy watching him and I have the feeling that Inter Miami is a very strong team. We saw them today beating New York in quite a really strong manner. Yea, I think it’s a big final. I wish for this final. Here we go! Here we go! I think it is great for everyone.“
Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps will meet again after facing each other in the semifinal series of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup. This won’t be a pleasant memory for Messi, who lost both legs (2-0 away and 3-1 at home) and didn’t contribute a single goal, something he’ll be eager to change on Saturday when Miami hosts Müller’s side at 2:30 p.m. ET.
The Whitecaps and their difference with Inter Miami
Both Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps enter the MLS Cup in strong form, with the Herons finishing third in the regular season with 65 points and the Caps fifth with 63, an almost negligible separation. Still, Müller believes one major difference between the teams could end up shaping the final.
Speaking to reporters in another post-match interview, Müller addressed the looming showdown and emphasized that contrast: “It’s not about Lionel 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 German star also reflected on the significance of the duel in the MLS Cup final. “The nice thing about it is not only playing against the greatest player who played our game and is still playing our game, it’s more that, I think, when you have a pairing like this, more people are watching. If more people are watching, the value also for you as a player, as an individual, also for your team and also for your franchise, is way bigger,” he concluded.
Müller’s point holds weight when looking at Inter Miami’s numbers during the 2025 playoff run. Of the 18 goals the Herons have scored in five postseason games, Messi directly contributed to 11 of them, a stat that shows he has generated more than half of Miami’s goals through either scoring or assisting.
However, Müller will also need to avoid focusing solely on Messi’s individual impact, a trap New York City fell into with disastrous results. While the Argentine captain had a quieter outing by his recent standards with just one assist, the attention he drew, and NYCFC’s effort to neutralize him, left the Boys in Blue exposed, allowing Tadeo Allende to score a hat trick in the 5-1 defeat. Miami, it turns out, have plenty more weapons beyond their No. 10.