After 17 years and 33 trophies, Thomas Muller has played his final match for FC Bayern München, with the German side falling to a 2-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup™.
Asked to reflect post-match on what it means to have worn the club’s colours for the final time, the veteran forward kept things brief. “You need a bit of time to take in everything that has happened,” explained Muller.
“Emotions from the match are still running high but I don’t feel any different to how I felt before the match. I’m well aware that it was my last game for the club, and now I’ll see what happens over the next few days. I’ve talked a lot about my time here and how it would come to an end at some point. My feelings about it haven’t changed, even now that it’s over”.
Muller’s exit heralds the end of a glorious era for the German club. After coming up through the club’s academy, he got his first-team debut in 2008 and never left. As the years went by, he became one of Bayern’s leading lights and emerged as the driving force behind the Bundesliga giants’ relentless dominance. He has won an astonishing amount of silverware during his near two-decade long stay with the club, including 13 Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Champions League crowns.
“I gave him a massive hug on the pitch,” said Manuel Neuer, another of Bayern’s long-standing greats, who has been at the club since 2011. “I’d already given him one at the Allianz Arena [in our last Bundesliga match], and again when we were in Stuttgart with the national team [after being knocked out by Spain at Euro 2024].
“I think he’s said his goodbyes to the fans several times, and to the media as well. He’s had a remarkable career at Bayern. He sacrificed everything for the club, for the team, and for himself as well. Needless to say, I wish him all the best for the future – both personally and professionally”.
The 35-year-old’s honours list is endless, packed with record-breaking achievements in the German giants’ colours. Principally, Muller holds the record for the most appearances in the club’s history, with 755 matches, ahead of Sepp Maier’s 709.
He also ranks third on the club’s all-time scoring list, behind Gerd Muller (565) and Robert Lewandowski (344). Factor in a remarkable 276 assists and those numbers look even better. However, his accolades are not limited to club football, having also won the FIFA World Cup™ at Brazil 2014.
“It won’t be easy for me to get used to him not being here. That’s football, though; things tend to change quickly. I really enjoyed spending time with him over the last two years, both on and off the pitch,” added Austrian Konrad Laimer, who moved to Munich in 2023 after five years with RB Leipzig.
At his farewell tournament, Muller was in the starting line-up for Bayern’s opener against Auckland City FC, finding the net twice. Those would be his last goals in a Bayern shirt, his final outing being the ten-minute cameo late against PSG in Atlanta.
Aside from the legacy of his stats, titles, and longevity, Muller etched his name into football history by inventing a new position on the pitch that needed a name of its own. He came up with the German term Raumdeuter, which translates to ‘space interpreter’, a word that perfectly sums up what he was all about.
His ability to read the game, along with a resourcefulness in occupying space and making the most of it, made him a forward unlike any other. Muller is not merely the first Raumdeuter; he also epitomises the concept. Having bid farewell to Munich, a new chapter in his life is about to begin.
