Nowadays Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominate every single individual trophy there is, so much so that any other player has a very hard time competing with them, and rarely robs them of praise.
Only outstanding performances by Luis Suarez and Neymar, Messi’s mates at Barcelona, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have managed to recently steal some limelight.
But, if someone also deserves to be in that elite group it is undoubtedly Thomas Müller. This German attacking midfielder has won almost everything: Bundesliga, Champions League and a World Cup.
In each tournament, Müller, who was born in Wilheim, has been essential to his team, and all of his coaches have praised his tactical and technical qualities. According to former player Thierry Henry, Muller is better example of a footballer than Cristiano and Messi, who are so inhumanly good as to be unreplicable.
Muller was one of the revelations of the 2010 World Cup, scoring five goals and adding three assists. He was only 20 years old at the time. Then, in Brazil 2014 he was the second leading scorer of the tournament.
He was not voted the best player in that last World Cup because that honor went to – who else? – Lionel Messi, which generated much controversy later. But his performance was one of the keys to German national team success.
His name was highlighted again just a few days ago when, in the last minute, he managed to tie the game for Bayern Munich against Juventus, saving his side. Bayern went on to win in overtime and it is now preparing to take on Benfica in the quarterfinals.
In the summer of 2015, Manchester United made an offer of 120 million euros for Müller, but Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern's general manager, said that he is a priceless player.. According to www.transfermarkt.es his current price should be 75 million euros.
Although Müller is not the most attractive player at first glance, Sport Bild journalist Matt Jones indicates that: “He has an intelligence that has surprised most players in Europe and he is a brutally effective player."
In a different analysis – from www.footballdatabase.eu – his weakness comes in defensive duties, such as continued pressing and tackles.
According to Bayern Munich management, Müller’s contract is worth 15 million euros per season until 2021, but he is only 26 years old. Which means that before his current contract is over, two UEFA European Championships and a World Cup will be played before he turns 31. He could very well earn a significant pay raise in that time if he performs well
He is a winner. Muller can become the greatest scorer in World Cup history. He has scored 10 goals in 13 games. He is a player who decides to big games.
Bundesliga has become a very easy task for Bayern, it has three consecutive titles and four of the last six. There are winds of change in Munich. Manager Josep Guardiola goes and Carlo Ancelotti comes. Perhaps sooner rather than later Müller will be excited by the challenge of winning more trophies outside of Germany.