MIAMI: Thomas Mueller believes that his previous results against Lionel Messi hold no real value as he prepares to represent the Vancouver Whitecaps against Inter Miami in the MLS Cup final this Saturday.
The German veteran, who joined Vancouver in August after leaving Bayern Munich, has enjoyed a strong track record against Messi at both club and international levels.
Despite having emerged victorious in seven out of ten encounters with Messi, the 36-year-old insists that those achievements won’t influence the upcoming MLS title clash in Florida.
“I look back at those matches with a lot of satisfaction because they’re now part of history, and I’ve had many memorable moments with my teams in those games,” Mueller said.
“But none of that has any impact on Saturday. It’s a completely new contest.”
Mueller added that while past success may boost confidence, he doesn’t rely on history to motivate himself.
“It may give you a good feeling, knowing you’ve beaten someone before, but as a player and as a team, confidence comes from the present, not the past,” he stated.
Mueller also downplayed Vancouver’s superiority over Miami in this year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-finals, where the Whitecaps won both legs and advanced with a 5-1 aggregate score.
“Yes, we beat Inter Miami twice earlier this season — but what does that really mean now?” Mueller said.
“It offers a bit of encouragement, but ultimately, everything will be decided on the field on Saturday.”
The German forward’s notable victories over Messi include the 2014 FIFA World Cup final, where Germany defeated Argentina 1-0, and Bayern Munich’s historic 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in the 2020 Champions League quarter-finals, in which Mueller scored twice.
He was also part of Bayern’s 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2023 Champions League, which turned out to be Messi’s final game in European football.
