Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Thomas Muller says he has not made a decision on whether he will keep playing after the current MLS season ends.
The Story
Thomas Muller says he is still weighing his playing future as the Vancouver Whitecaps approach the end of the current MLS season, offering “no concrete answers” on whether he will continue beyond this year.
The 37-year-old German midfielder, who spoke after training on Wednesday, said multiple considerations are involved, including his personal situation, contract terms, the city where he would live, the team’s perspective and his availability, particularly how his body holds up.
Despite that uncertainty, Muller said he feels comfortable in Vancouver and emphasized the competitive drive that has kept him engaged this season. “It’s always about private situation, it’s about contract, it’s about the city you will live in, it’s about the team perspective, and it’s about obviously about availability — about the body and this whole package,” he said. “But I feel really comfortable here,” adding that he continues to enjoy competing with his team.
Muller’s comments come in the midst of a strong year for Vancouver, which has hovered around the top of the Western Conference standings and entered the home stretch sitting in first place. Heading into a Saturday home matchup against D.C. United, the Whitecaps record is listed as 25-15-6.
Muller has been a key element both in matches and in the day-to-day work around the group, according to head coach Jesper Sorensen. Sorensen said the impact of a veteran like Muller goes beyond what the team sees on the pitch during games, describing how he helps raise the competitiveness of everyday training and supports teammates.
While the club’s league position has remained competitive, Muller acknowledged the frustration of recent results that have not matched the standard the team expects. Vancouver fell to CF Montreal in the semifinal of the Canadian Championship earlier this month, and Muller said the setbacks have been difficult to take.
In his remarks, Muller framed the upcoming period as part of a continued push for improvement rather than a finished mission. “I want to get better. I want still to get better. This team, in my opinion, deserves even better results,” he said, adding that work is still needed each day even if he believes the side is capable of reaching higher levels. “The competitive desire remains,” he said, suggesting that as long as he remains a competitor he sees value in continuing.
Muller’s trajectory with Vancouver began when he signed with the club in August 2025 after 17 seasons with Bayern Munich. At Bayern, he scored 250 goals across all competitions and helped the club win 13 league championships and 33 total titles. He also won the 2014 World Cup with Germany and was the Golden Boot winner at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when he finished the tournament with five goals and three assists.
His MLS production for Vancouver has continued to underscore his ability to influence matches. Over 28 regular-season appearances, Muller has recorded 15 goals and 10 assists, and the Whitecaps reached their first MLS Cup final in December.
The contract situation is part of the reason Muller’s decision is not yet final. He initially signed a deal that runs through the 2025 season with an option for the 2026 campaign, and the league schedule is set to change after that. MLS will play two seasons in 2027, beginning with a condensed “sprint season” running from February through May before it switches to a summer-to-spring international calendar.
For Vancouver’s leadership, the path to any new agreement involves more than informal discussions, even if work is underway. Axel Schuster, the Whitecaps sporting director and CEO, said there is no reason to assume progress is not being made, but he also suggested that finalizing terms that satisfy all parties has not yet occurred. “Everything has to fit well,” he said. “There are no reasons to not anticipate that we’re working on something, but to get everything done and also to agree to what everyone at the end feels good about is something that has not happened yet.”
As Muller weighs his next step, the immediate focus for Vancouver remains on finishing the season strongly. For a club positioned atop the Western Conference, Muller’s future decision may ultimately hinge on availability and fit, as he said, and on whether the team can align the competitive plan and contract expectations that underpin any extension beyond the current season.
← More stories