German legend Muller, who transferred to Vancouver in August from Bayern Munich, has maintained a winning record against Messi throughout the years, both at club and international level.
However, the charismatic 36-year-old insists past outcomes—Muller has won seven out of ten matches against Messi—won't matter in Saturday's MLS final in Florida.
"Looking back, I feel very comfortable because those matches are history, and I gained a lot of valuable experience with my teams, so it was enjoyable," said Muller, whose victories over Messi include Germany's 1-0 triumph against Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final.
"But that doesn't count for Saturday; it's a fresh game," Muller added.
"Maybe it helps me feel confident to compete with someone, both as a player and as part of a team. So I don't rely heavily on past results for confidence."
Muller also minimized the importance of Vancouver's dominance over Messi and Miami in this season's CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals, where the Whitecaps won both legs for a 5-1 aggregate.
"They beat Inter Miami twice this season. But what does that really mean?" Muller commented.
"It gives you a bit of a positive feeling. But ultimately, the match is decided on the field on Saturday and beyond.
"It's a nice topic to discuss, and I hope we can still talk about it after the game on Saturday."
Besides the 2014 World Cup final, Muller's wins over Messi include Bayern Munich's 8-2 drubbing of Barcelona in the 2020 Champions League quarter-finals, where the German scored twice and earned man-of-the-match honors.
He also featured in Bayern’s 2-0 Champions League second leg victory over Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, which marked Messi’s final appearance in European competition.
Links
Contact
App
