Will he do it one last time? Why Müller is Messi’s ultimate nemesis | OneFootball

When the MLS playoff final between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami takes place this evening for the championship, it will also be a clash between two outstanding footballers of the 21st century - Lionel Messi and Thomas Müller. 

For the Argentine, who has essentially played through football as a world champion and eight-time world footballer, it is also another encounter with his personal nemesis.

The record in direct duels clearly favors the Bayern legend. Don't believe it? Let's refresh your memory here.

The first of ten encounters so far took place 15 years ago in Munich. For Müller, it was an unforgettable evening in two respects. He made his debut for the German national team in the 0-1 defeat against Argentina, and after the game, there was an iconic press conference where Argentina's national coach Diego Maradona did not want to share the podium with Müller, as he did not recognize him as a player despite the 67 minutes he had played before.

Four months later, Maradona knew exactly who Müller was. In the World Cup quarterfinals, the Bayern player put Germany on the winning path within seconds. Not even Lionel Messi could change the 0-4 defeat for the Albiceleste. 

In another duel in 2012, Messi had the upper hand again. An additional meaningless international match that ended 3-1 in favor of Argentina. 

📸 Thorsten Wagner - 2012 Getty Images

The next time the paths of these exceptional talents crossed was in the Champions League. In the semifinals of the 2012/13 season, Bayern dismantled Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg. This time, Müller was even the player of the match as a double scorer. In the second leg, an injured Messi had to watch from the bench for 90 minutes as Munich also won clearly 3-0 at Camp Nou. Of course, Müller scored again. 

In July 2014, Messi experienced perhaps the most painful defeat of his career and certainly the greatest triumph in Thomas Müller's: Germany's World Cup title in Rio de Janeiro.

📸 FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT

While Müller and the rest of the team turned night into day, Messi wondered years later when the pain would subside: "I don't know if the wound will ever heal," La Pulga revealed in an interview on 'FIFA.com' in 2017. 

On the way to his fourth and last Champions League trophy, Messi turned Jérôme Boateng into a meme and eliminated Bayern in the semifinals with Barça in May 2015. The infamous MSN trio was too much for Müller and Co., even though they won the second leg thanks to Müller's winning goal. 

Some time passed until the next encounter between the two. During the ghostly atmosphere of the Corona pandemic, Messi experienced a horror night with Barcelona. Müller contributed two goals and an assist to the historic 8-2. "What a massacre" headlined Spain's largest daily newspaper 'El País' the next day.

Even in the Paris Saint-Germain jersey, Messi did not fare better against Müller's Bayern. The CL round of 16 in 2023 saw Munich advance with two victories (2-0, 1-0), even though Müller was on the field for only 90 of the 120 minutes. To date, it was the last duel of the two main protagonists in today's MLS final.

The record clearly favors Thomas Müller. In competitive matches, it is even more pronounced. When it really mattered, Lionel Messi could only leave the field as a winner once against Müller teams.

📸 Alex Grimm - 2023 Getty Images

The Whitecaps naturally hope that it stays that way, as they would then be MLS champions for the first time. However, the favorite role clearly lies with Inter Miami. Messi and the old Barça connection around Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba want to fulfill the club from Florida's American Dream. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Alexander Hassenstein - 2023 Getty Images