This article was previously published on Sept. 2, 2024, and has been updated.
Having been with the club for the past 25 years, Thomas Müller is Bayern Munich. One of the Bundesliga‘s greatest ever players, he became Bayern’s record appearance-maker last year when he played in the 2-0 win over Freiburg in September to mark his 710th competitive game.
But the 35-year-old revealed in April that he will leave Bayern at the end of the season and made his final home appearance on Saturday against Borussia Mönchengladbach in what was his 750th game.
Born in a small town around 30 miles south of Munich, Müller joined the Bavarians as a 10-year-old in summer 2000 and made his way through the ranks, excelling at youth level before eventually making his first-team debut during the 2008-09 season under then-coach Jürgen Klinsmann.
Despite looking as though he has barely aged a day since, Muller has coupled his phenomenal staying power with a trophy haul to match: 13 Bundesliga titles (including 11 consecutive championships claimed between 2012-13 and 2022-23), as well as six German Cups, eight German Super Cups, two Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups, plus a variety of individual goal-scoring awards and accolades.
Müller has weighed in with 248 goals in all competitions, which puts him third on Bayern’s star-studded list of all-time top goal scorers behind only Robert Lewandowski (344 goals in 375 games) and the late, great Gerd Müller (563 goals in 605 games). Not bad for a player who defies description and cannot be easily categorised as a striker, midfielder or winger — he has a unique “Raumdeuter” role, often described as a “space interpreter.”
Müller has also played under 11 different permanent head coaches at Bayern: Klinsmann, Jupp Heynckes (in two separate stints), Louis van Gaal, Andries Jonker, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Niko Kovač, Hansi Flick, Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel and the incumbent Vincent Kompany.
“If Messi is a magician, Thomas is the top hat. You never know what surprise will come out.” — former Germany coach Joachim Löw.
Alongside inheriting the club’s overall appearance record, Müller can also boast having made more appearances in the Champions League than almost anyone else. He equaled Lionel Messi’s appearance total (163 games) and only Cristiano Ronaldo (183) and Iker Casillas (177) have featured more. Meanwhile, he has also played in the German Cup (67) and German Super Cup (12) than any other Bayern player in history, all while remaining one of the team’s most enduringly charming and expressive characters.
Here’s why he’s so cool.
Mischief maker
Müller has become firmly established as a favorite among the Bayern faithful by virtue of his unfaltering effort on the pitch married with a resolutely unserious approach away from it.
When it comes to Müller’s greatest hits, the archive is deep. There are the old classics like the awkward dancing and pretending to use a passport as a phone to evade journalists in airport arrivals.
Lederhosen lover
He’s also unashamedly keen to seize any opportunity to don his lederhosen and pose for Oktoberfest-themed photos with his teammates.
The moment you’ve all been waiting for… 😎🥨#Paulaner #MiaSanMia #Ad pic.twitter.com/f3YagrB5Ge
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) August 29, 2023
Fans’ favorite
Cementing his position as a man of the people, Müller made sure to share the Bundesliga trophy with the Bayern fans by clambering up the stadium fencing and allowing them to touch the hallowed silver shield after wrapping up the 2021-22 title.
Thomas Muller wanted to make sure the fans got the chance to hold the Bundesliga trophy 🏆👏 pic.twitter.com/vESdtshMtN
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 12, 2022
One-club man
We also can’t think of many other players who would announce contract extensions by faithfully recreating old photographs of their childhood bedrooms.
Trend setter
Müller has even managed to create his very own meme template by referring to ex-teammate Robert Lewandowski as “LewanGOALski” during a postmatch interview and swiftly breaking the internet — well, almost.
🗣”We in Bayern we have Robert Lewangoalski… you know Robert LewandGOALski!” 😭
I think Thomas Muller’s pun game is not as strong as his assist making! 🤣@lewy_official @esmuellert_ pic.twitter.com/4bVkGvLtpQ
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) June 9, 2020
Horse whisperer
And if all that weren’t enough, Muller and his wife Lisa, who is an accomplished dressage rider, devote most of their evenings to their horses, which they breed at a stable in the countryside outside Munich. Muller admits that he enjoys nothing more than unwinding in the privacy of the stables.
