Thomas Muller smashes Barcelona legend’s incredible Champions League record which could have been Lionel Messi’s
Thomas Muller has broken an incredible Champion League record with his appearance for Bayern Munich in their 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb.
The iconic forward didn’t start the match, but came off the bench in the 68th minute to make history.
2
Muller was presented with a unique award for his achievements pre-matchCredit: GettyHis involvement was his 152nd in the European competition’s history – that’s now the most ever by a player for one single club.
Muller had been tied with Barcelona icon Xavi, who made 151 appearances for the Catalan giants across his decorated career.
The Spain legend won the competition on four separate occasions between 1998 and 2015 when he left to join Al Sadd in Qatar.
read more bundesliga newsMuller broke Xavi’s record in style too, even notching an assist in his 22 minutes of action, setting up Leroy Sane in the hammering.
He also surpassed Toni Kroos with the most appearances for a German player, and on the overall list he now has only Xavi, Lionel Messi, Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of him.
Muller has won the Champions League on two occasions – 2012/13 and 2019/20, while also finishing runner-up twice in 2009/10 and 2011/12.
He was also named in the Champions League’s ‘Squad of the Season’ when Bayern won the competition in 2020 – beating Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
The record, though, looked at one point set to be added to Messi’s vast collection.
He made 149 appearances for Barcelona but, when it looked like he would obliterate it with ease, he left the club for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
Messi made 14 more appearances with PSG in the Champions League, taking him to 163 – a number that would have seen him well ahead of Muller.
2
Muller is simply a Bayern iconCredit: GettyAnd he’s unlikely to make anymore as he now plays of Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
But the eccentric German won’t mind too much now he’s got the honour.
In his 152 appearances, he’s also scored 54 goals and made 34 assists.
Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller is spotted dancing with a horse at the Paris 2024 Olympics
He also recently became Bayern Munich’s record appearance holder playing 711 times for the Bavarian behemoths, beating iconic goalkeeper Sepp Maier.
Read More on talkSPORTMuller, famed for his gangly frame and unique playing style, has also won 12 Bundesliga titles and a World Cup in his storied career.
He won the 2010 World Cup and the Golden Boot and is the joint-10th highest scorer at the tournaments in history.
JOIN THE DUGOUT
Have your say on all things talkSPORT by joining ‘The DUGOUT’ – our new listener panel.
We’re all about diving deep into your perspectives, and making sure talkSPORT is the absolute best it can be. Your voice matters, and we want to hear it!
Pitch your game-changing ideas, and join in with fun surveys, polls, and locker-room discussions.
Just by joining, you’ll enter a prize draw to win one of four £50 Amazon vouchers, with another prize draw entry for every survey you complete after that
To join the ‘The DUGOUT’ panel, please click here.
