Thomas Muller is one of the greatest players of his generation, a legendary striker for Germany who spent the prime years of his club career with Bayern Munich.
He’s still playing, too, now in Major league Soccer with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
He isn’t, though, playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Germany has a talented roster, as usual, but it doesn’t include Muller.
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Why isn’t Thomas Muller playing at the World Cup?
Muller is done playing internationally.
Players often retire from international football before ending their club career. The 36-year old Muller is still working in MLS, but he hasn’t played with Germany since 2024.
Muller ended his German national career with 131 caps and 45 goals.
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He has made 19 appearances with Vancouver since joining and scored 11 goals.
There’s certainly a case to be made that Muller could still be an impactful player for Germany if he was given an international call-up. It would’ve been fascinating to see Muller play in this North American World Cup after he came to Canada to play for Vancouver.
Instead, though, Muller will be watching with the rest of the German fanbase as the current Germany squad tries to make a deep run at the 2026 World Cup.