„Back home again!“: Thomas Müller is back at FC Bayern | OneFootball

Thomas Müller is back in Munich – at least for a moment. After the turbulent end to his first MLS season, the Bayern legend took the opportunity to watch FC Bayern’s Bundesliga match against 1. FSV Mainz 05 live in the Allianz Arena

Shortly before kick-off of the match against Mainz, the cameras in the Allianz Arena suddenly turned to a familiar face. Thomas Müller, a figure of identification and the face of FC Bayern for many years, took a seat in the stands and was caught on TV. The 36-year-old appeared to be in a great mood, laughing a lot and chatting animatedly with sporting director Max Eberl and supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

The scene was symbolic: Müller, who left the record champions last summer after almost 25 years with the club, is still omnipresent in Munich. When Lennart Karl scored the opening goal for Bayern in the 29th minute, Müller was shown again. Standing between the two club bosses, he applauded the shooting star’s goal – an image that brought back memories for many fans

Müller also remained present away from the cameras. His appearance did not seem distant or formal at all, but rather as if he had never really been away. Conversations, gestures, laughter – the „space interpreter“ blended seamlessly into the usual Bayern environment

Advent greetings and a look back at a special year

Müller had already made a statement on social media a few hours before kick-off. In a photo, he showed himself in a good mood with a pretzel and in front of a platter of sausage and cheese. He wrote: „Back home in Bavaria. I wish you a wonderful third Advent and cozy, pre-Christmas moments.“ A message that met with a great response from the record champions‘ fans

Müller’s visit to Munich follows an intense first year in North America. After leaving FC Bayern in the summer, the 2014 world champion joined the Vancouver Whitecaps and reached the MLS final with the Canadian club straight away. However, Müller was beaten 3-1 by Inter Miami and superstar Lionel Messi – a bitter end to an otherwise remarkable debut season in Major League Soccer

Despite the defeat in the final, Müller quickly established himself as a key player and crowd favourite with the Whitecaps. The club only officially confirmed on Monday that the Bavarian will continue to play for Vancouver in the 2026 season. His sporting chapter in North America is therefore far from over

And yet his appearance in the Allianz Arena shows that the connection between Thomas Müller and FC Bayern is unbroken. Even though he is taking new paths in sport, Munich remains his home – and the record champions a piece of his identity.