Müller vs. Messi: MLS Cup reignites rivalry for Vancouver, Miami superstars | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

Familiar foes Lionel Messi and Thomas Müller resume their legendary rivalry on Saturday at MLS Cup 2025 presented by Audi when Inter Miami CF welcome Vancouver Whitecaps FC to Chase Stadium (2:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV; FOX, FOX Deportes; TSN, RDS).

The battle for the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy pits the global superstars against each other for the 11th time, highlighted by past FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League showdowns for club and country that shaped both players’ legacies.

Müller holds most of the bragging rights, boasting a 7W-3L-0D record against Messi all-time. And, as the Germany and Bayern Munich legend playfully warned the Argentina and FC Barcelona icon upon signing with Vancouver this summer, "I will hunt you again!"

Will Messi, the winningest player in soccer history, respond to Müller, Germany's most decorated star, at MLS Cup?

MATCHUP HISTORY

International highlights

Argentina 0, Germany 4 - FIFA 2010 World Cup Quarterfinals

Müller opened the floodgates with a 2nd-minute header that paced Germany to a 4-0 quarterfinal rout of Messi and Argentina at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The then 20-year-old was named Best Young Player of the tournament with 5g/3a to help Die Mannschaft place third.

Germany 1, Argentina 0 - FIFA 2014 World Cup Final

Müller went the full 90 and 30 minutes of extra time in Germany’s dramatic 1-0 defeat of Messi’s Argentina in the 2014 final that gave Germany their fourth World Cup trophy. As he did four years prior, Müller posted 5g/3a during the competition. He finished second in the Golden Ball race… behind Messi.

Club history

During his 17-year run with Bayern Munich, Müller got the better of Messi more often than not – regardless of whether the Argentine No. 10 was playing for Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain.

Bayern Munich 4, Barcelona 0 - 2012-13 UEFA Champions League Semifinals, Leg 1

Müller scored a brace and added an assist as Bayern Munich steamrolled Messi and Barcelona behind a 4-0 scoreline in Leg 1 of their Champions League semifinal series. The Raumdeuter added another goal in the return leg (3-0 win) at the Camp Nou for good measure, as Die Roten handed Barça their worst-ever aggregate defeat in the tournament. Müller went on to win his first UCL title after a 2-1 final defeat of Borussia Dortmund.

Barcelona 3, Bayern Munich 0 - 2014-15 UEFA Champions League Semifinals, Leg 1

Messi got his revenge two years later in the Champions League semifinals, scoring twice and assisting Neymar for the third goal in a 3-0 Barcelona win. Müller scored in the return leg, but Barça advanced 5-3 on aggregate. They eventually defeated Juventus, 3-1, in the final for Messi's fourth and final UCL crown with his longtime team.

Bayern Munich 8, Barcelona 2 - 2019-20 UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals

The 2019-20 Champions League knockout stages were played over a single-leg format from the quarterfinals on, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately for Müller and Bayern, they only needed 90 minutes to dismantle Messi and Barcelona. The Raumdeuter scored twice and added an assist in a legendary 8-2 thrashing of Barça, the club's worst-ever defeat in European competition. Müller then lifted his second Champions League trophy after Bayern topped Paris Saint-Germain, 1-0, in the final.

Is Thomas Müller Lionel Messi's kryptonite? 

Lionel Messi

Forward · Inter Miami CF

Messi’s transformational July 2023 signing changed the North American soccer landscape and catapulted Inter Miami into a globally-recognized club practically overnight, with the legendary No. 10 spearheading an ambitious project that attracted additional star power in fellow Barcelona greats Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Miami’s on-the-field success was just as instantaneous, as Messi & Friends led the Herons to a memorable Leagues Cup 2023 title for the club’s first-ever trophy.

A fourth Barça icon, Luis Suárez, joined in 2024 to complete the “Core Four” of a side that clinched that year’s MLS Supporters’ Shield (given to the team with the best regular-season record) behind a league-record 74-point haul. Messi also added the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award to his extensive résumé, thanks to a 20g/16a output.

Messi’s dominance has only increased in 2025, producing 29g/19a to claim MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi honors and emerge as the clear favorite to become the first-ever back-to-back MLS MVP. He’s arguably been even better in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, delivering 13 goal contributions (6g/7a) in five games to shatter the single postseason record and put Miami on the verge of their first MLS Cup title.

Lionel Messi OWNED Nashville SC in Round One

Inter Miami CF

Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs

Key teammates

Thomas Müller

Midfielder · Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Vancouver's 2025 campaign got off to a spectacular start, as Jesper Sørensen's side embarked on a magical run to the Concacaf Champions Cup final, while also maintaining a blistering pace in MLS play. After a brief downturn in form post-CCC, Müller's blockbuster August arrival from Bayern Munich instantly took the Whitecaps to another level, solidifying Vancouver's status as an MLS Cup contender.

The German has been expectedly productive, contributing 9g/4a in 12 matches across all competitions, while helping Vancouver win a fourth straight Canadian Championship in October. But his off-field impact has been equally pronounced, with teammates and coaches speaking glowingly of his affable personality and leadership qualities.

Those attributes have proved vital during Vancouver's MLS Cup run, highlighted by an epic penalty-kick triumph over Son Heung-Min and LAFC in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs

Key teammates