Thomas Müller to the Vancouver Whitecaps? If Vancouver can get it done, it might just become one of the biggest moments in Canadian sports history.

Recently, ex-Bayern Munich and German national team midfielder Thomas Müller confirmed he would not be retiring and that he was interested in playing in MLS. But with Vancouver Whitecaps recently emerging as an option for the German midfielder, what are the chances he heads to the West Coast?

(Image Credit to Getty Images)

In the grand scheme of the sports world, Canada is more of an up-and-coming nation. 

Despite our success in hockey, with the most recent coming in the form of the Canadian men’s team’s 4 Nations Face-Off victory over the United States, and our historical strength in the Winter Olympics, we haven’t quite cracked football yet. 

Yes, the Canadian men’s team qualified for its first World Cup since 1986 when it made it to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. And the women’s team has had its fair share of fame in recent decades; not only has the women’s team hosted the 2015 Women’s World Cup, but they also won gold at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Club football? Not so much. Toronto FC might be known for butchering Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernadeschi’s careers, and CF Montreal is set to enter a rebuild. And with the Canadian Premier League only starting to enter the limelight, Vancouver Whitecaps are left as the country’s most well-known and successful club. 

In terms of Vancouver’s success, not only are the Whitecaps four-time Canadian Championship winners (with three of them coming in the last three editions of the contest), but they have been the best Canadian MLS side in three of the last five MLS regular seasons. The club is also second in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference, far above both CF Montreal and Toronto FC. On top of all of that, the Whitecaps just made it to their first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, a loss to Cruz Azul. 

But now, it seems like the Vancouver Whitecaps have the chance to make history once again. This time, it might just be one of the most significant moments not just in club history, but in Canadian sports history. 

While Lorenzo Insigne, who had recently won the European Championship with Italy when he signed for Toronto FC, could technically be considered a high-profile signing, no big-name footballer has ever signed for a Canadian club. And while Alphonso Davies did play for the Vancouver Whitecaps, this was before his move to Bayern Munich. 

To reinforce the importance of landing a big-name player like Thomas Müller, let’s consider some of his career statistics with Bayern Munich. Not only has he won the Bundesliga 13 times, but he has also won the DFB-Pokal, Germany’s domestic cup, six times and has won the Champions League twice while appearing in two additional Champions League Finals. 

In terms of contributions, he has made over 750 appearances for his club across all competitions, while scoring 250 goals across those appearances. 

So not only would Vancouver Whitecaps land a veteran who has proven himself capable of winning trophies, but they would also add more scoring depth to a front that is more than able to score at will. 

On top of that, with clubs like FC Cincinnati and LAFC either rejected by Thomas Müller or looking to pursue other top targets, Vancouver has the opportunity to pursue the German’s signature without too many other big MLS clubs in competition. While the discovery rights, which grant an MLS team the ability to negotiate with and sign a player that is not under contract with an MLS side, belong with FC Cincinnati, acquiring these rights won’t seem like too much of a hurdle for Vancouver. 

The Vancouver Whitecaps would also be able to provide Thomas Müller with several opportunities to win silverware upon his arrival. Not only are the Whitecaps about to kick off their Canadian Championship semifinal tie against Forge FC, but they are in a strong position to go on a run in this fall’s MLS Cup Playoffs. And a Supporter’s Shield (given to the MLS team with the best regular-season record) isn’t out of the question either as the Whitecaps sit five points back of the Philadelphia Union with a game in hand and ten matches left to play. One of those matches will be a home game against that same Philadelphia Union side. 

The Vancouver Whitecaps are currently enjoying one of their best seasons yet, but there is still room for them to make it even better. Not only would the signature of Thomas Müller cement them as contenders for the three championships they can still claim, but it would also redefine Canadian sports and the ability of sports teams in Canada to attract top talent.  

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Article written by Noah Guttman