The eternal Thomas Müller remains at FC Bayern. The 34-year-old national soccer player extended his contract, which expired in the summer, for another season until the end of June 2025.
“I’m happy that my journey at FC Bayern is continuing. I want to do my part to ensure that we remain successful – as a team and as a whole club. It’s important to me to be a building block and to help steer the team in the right direction,” explained Müller on Tuesday. “I want to inspire our fans with goals, goal participation, my love for the game, my passion for football – and hopefully with many more titles.”
Apart from seven years as a child at TSV Pähl, Müller only played for the German industry leader. Most recently, the national player, who moved to Bayern in 2000, was often just a substitute under coach Thomas Tuchel. The “Müller always plays” saying of his former sponsor Louis van Gaal no longer applies. The prospect of the 2025 Champions League final in Munich is very tempting for Müller in any role.
Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich recently extended their contracts, which expired at the end of the season. “There is no one who has internalized FC Bayern like that. We know what we have in him,” Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund recently said about Müller. “Thomas Müller simply belongs to Bayern Munich,” said captain Neuer.
“Like the Frauenkirche in Munich”
Club president Herbert Hainer recently said that Müller will play for another club from the summer “I am convinced that it will not happen.” Rather, the club’s wish is to retain an icon like Müller in some capacity at the club beyond his professional career.
“Thomas Müller belongs to FC Bayern like the Frauenkirche to Munich. He was born just outside the city, grew up in this club and became a legend during his playing days – very few people can do that,” said club president Hainer after recently signing his contract. “His path into the history books is paved with records. FC Bayern has been shaped by many personalities and there will never be a player like Thomas Müller again.”
Müller did have thoughts of saying goodbye during his Bayern era. Van Gaal once wanted to bring him to Manchester United. In 2019, Müller was tempted again when he was often just a substitute under then coach Niko Kovac. After the coach was released, his status suddenly improved under successor Hansi Flick.
Elisabeth Schmelzerl, Munich Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 9 Christopher Meltzer, Munich Published/Updated: Recommendations: 1 Thomas Klemm Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 67
FC Bayern last extended Müller’s contract in May 2022. At that time, the original Bavarian posed sitting on a mattress surrounded by Bayern bed linen and fan posters on the wall. Müller recreated a photo from his childhood when he was still wearing goalkeeper gloves and looked expectantly into the camera.
“For FC Bayern he is unique as a player, personality and identification figure. Someone who never hides, even when it hurts, and who always moves forward with high motivation. He’s also a great communicator who always has a good saying on his lips and enjoys his work,” explained CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen. “Müller remains the ‘M’ in ‘Mia san Mia’. We wish him not only an extremely successful time at FC Bayern, but also in the national team.”
Müller has played 684 games for Munich so far, just a few fewer than goalkeeper Sepp Maier (706). With twelve championship titles to date, he is the German record holder. He also won the Champions League in 2013 and 2020 and the World Cup title with the national team in 2014.
