SI

How Thomas Muller Could Break a German Record and Win His First Whitecaps Trophy

A Canadian Championship would make Müller the most decorated German player of all time, passing Toni Kroos.

Ben Steiner

Thomas Müller will look to add the Canadian Championship to his resume on Wednesday against Vancouver FC
Thomas Müller will look to add the Canadian Championship to his resume on Wednesday against Vancouver FC / Rich Lam/Getty Images

When Thomas Müller signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps this summer, the hope was to chase as many trophies as possible.

On Wednesday night, he and the Whitecaps will have their first chance to do so, as they aim to win a fourth consecutive Canadian Championship, taking on Vancouver FC of the Canadian Premier League. 

With just four wins in 25 matches, Vancouver FC sits last in the CPL, Canada’s FIFA-sanctioned first division. In contrast, the Whitecaps sit fifth in the MLS table, as one of three Canadian clubs in the American first division.

For Vancouver FC, it’s a full-on magical cup run as the first CPL side to advance to the final, while the Whitecaps are heavy favorites considering their position in MLS, three straight titles, and status as 2025 Concacaf Champions runners-up.

Vancouver FC has several players who previously played for the Whitecaps at the Academy and first-team levels, but the two sides have never met. They will do so for the first time with the Voyageurs Cup and an automatic berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup on the line. 

FREE NEWSLETTER. US Newsletter. Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC (US Only). dark

Muller Could Make German Soccer History, Pass Toni Kroos

Thomas Muller
Toni Kroos, left, and Thomas Müller, right have each won 33 titles with club and country. / Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

As much as both clubs will look to make their own respective history and win the first-ever Vancouver Derby, the Voyageurs Cup could also make Müller the most decorated German player of all time. 

Currently, Müller sits tied with former Real Madrid star Toni Kroos for the most club and international trophies with 34, and the Canadian Championship would put the 37-year-old over the top, with the MLS Cup Playoffs still to come. 

“It will be great for the city to have a derby,” Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen said after the Whitecaps clinched their spot in the final. “Toni has stopped...some people will say, ‘okay, it’s just the Canadian Championship,’ but it is another phase in his history. I think it is also another step in Thomas’s legacy, and I know it is also something he wants.”

Although Müller did not feature in the Whitecaps’ semifinal cup tie against four-time CPL champions, Forge FC and was playing with FC Bayern Munich when the Whitecaps took on another CPL side, Valour FC, in the quarterfinals, he will have the opportunity to take the title in the decisive game. 

After exiting the Whitecaps’ most recent 2–2 draw against Cascadia rivals Seattle Sounders FC in the 62nd minute, he is also expected to play a prominent role in front of the home fans. 

“It’s important, as it’s our shortest way to another trophy, so we’re taking this tournament very seriously, and so am I,” Müller said ahead of the second leg of the semifinal. “I’m looking forward to playing my first decisive knockout game for the Whitecaps.”

How to Watch Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Vancouver FC - Canadian Championship Final

Country

Channel

Canada

OneSoccer, FuboTV, TSN

United States

FS1

Vancouver FC on Cinderella Run 

Canadian Championship
Nicolas Mezquida won the Canadian Championship with Whitecaps FC in 2015, and is now Vancouver FC's star player. / Courtesy of Vancouver FC

For Vancouver FC to advance to the final, they upset other CPL sides, Cavalry FC, and Pacific FC, before beating Atlético Ottawa, a partner club of Atlético Madrid, 3–2 over two legs to qualify for the first-ever final. 

While many of their players have previous experience with the Whitecaps, none have more than veteran midfielder Nicolás Mezquida, who helped the Whitecaps capture their first Canadian Championship in 2015, beating CF Montréal in the final. 

In the last decade, the Uruguayan midfielder went on to play for the Colorado Rapids in MLS, and left North America to play in Uruguay, Cyprus and Greece, before signing with Vancouver FC early in 2025.

On Wednesday, however, he and Vancouver FC will attempt to pull off their most remarkable upset yet, becoming the first team outside of the Whitecaps, Toronto FC, and CF Montréal to capture the Voyageurs Cup. 

“With our group, the mentality in the Canadian Championship has been phenomenal,” said former Whitecaps coach Martin Nash, now head coach of Vancouver FC. “It’s been tough to get that same standard in the league since I’ve come in; it’s the mentality, and the guys have it in them. It’s just trying to draw it out of them. For this series, we drew it out of them, and they were phenomenal.”

READ THE LATEST MLS NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND GOSSIP

feed

Published |Modified
Ben Steiner
BEN STEINER

Ben Steiner is an American-Canadian journalist who brings in-depth experience, having covered the North American national teams, MLS, CPL, NWSL, NSL and Liga MX for prominent outlets, including MLSsoccer.com, CBC Sports, and OneSoccer.

Home/Soccer