German great Muller isn’t ready to retire, signs extension with Vancouver Whitecaps

VANCOUVER – Thomas Muller is not ready to retire.

The Vancouver Whitecaps announced on Tuesday that the club has signed the German soccer legend to a contract extension through Major League Soccer’s 2027 “sprint season.” 

The sprint season is set to run from February through May 2027 before the league switches to the international summer-to-spring calendar in July 2027.

“So far it’s a hell of a ride. It’s really fun to be with this team, to be with these people and to be with the club,” Muller said in a video released by the ‘Caps. “And my body is still good.

“I just feel that it’s so much fun to be out on the pitch, week in and week out. Every match day is a good day for me. And we want to achieve our goals.” 

Reaching the extension required the 37-year-old Muller to evaluate how his body is feeling and whether he could physically handle another season, said Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster. 

“He’s smart enough to say, ‘I don’t want to be on the pitch one day, and people say, ‘You should have stopped,'” he said. “He doesn’t need that. He had his massive career. He could have retired before he came to Vancouver, and he can retire at any given end of a season, and everyone will be happy. And he doesn’t want to play then over that time.”

Muller signed with Vancouver in August 2025 following 17 seasons with Bayern Munich, where he scored 250 goals across all competitions.

The attacking midfielder has continued to be a dominant force in MLS, tallying 16 goals and 11 assists over 29 regular-season games. 

He’s made 45 appearances across all competitions for the Whitecaps, contributing 19 goals and 12 assists in the process, and was named an MLS all-star this summer. 

Before joining the ‘Caps, Muller led Bayern to 13 league championships and 33 total titles. 

He also won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, scoring five goals in the tournament, and took home the Golden Boot from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, finishing with five goals and three assists. 

Muller said he isn’t done yet. 

“I really appreciate to be here, hunting titles with this team, especially the MLS Cup,” he said. “And the journey continues. But that doesn’t mean that we kind of take it easy this year. But we have another bullet.”

With Muller in their ranks, the club won the MLS Western Conference title last season and made it to their first MLS Cup final, ultimately falling 3-1 to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.

Vancouver has hovered around the top of the league standings this season, and currently holds first place in the Western Conference with a 15-6-5 record. 

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Schuster said Muller’s superstar appeal has been felt off the field as well.

“If we speak about (merchandise) sales, jerseys, if we speak about awareness, media recognition, and how often this club was mentioned in North America, in Canada, in the world, I mean, I would say in some areas it’s quadrupled. In some areas it’s 10 times as much,” he said. 

The team would have grown without Muller, Schuster added, but he’s made the growth bigger and faster. 

“He definitely has been a massive multiplicator for everything.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2026.