Soccer <\/p>\n
CHARLOTTE, N.C – Twelve years ago,\u00a0Thomas M\u00fcller<\/a> played in an MLS All-Star Game as an opponent, representing German powerhouse Bayern Munich.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Now, nearly a year after signing with Vancouver Whitecaps FC<\/a> in a blockbuster move, the 2014 FIFA World Cup<\/a> winner is set to experience the summer showcase as an MLS All-Star himself, taking on the LIGA MX All-Stars at\u00a0Charlotte FC<\/a>\u2019s Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday night (8 pm ET | Apple TV<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cTo be here is special. I have to figure out how it is to be in an All-Star Game,\u201d M\u00fcller told reporters after training on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we want to show how much we enjoy our game, how much we enjoy soccer, and for sure on Wednesday, we have a competition and we want to win it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Day one for Raumdeuter \ud83c\udf1f#VWFC<\/a> | #MLSAllStar<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/yO5IsJFiWX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) July 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n As with any All-Star Game, Wednesday\u2019s exhibition offers an opportunity for the league\u2019s best players to come together on one field and put the quality of MLS on display. For the players, it is also a chance to form relationships, both on and off the pitch, with fellow superstars who are typically foes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s nice to meet them. It’s nice to be on the pitch with them,\u201d said M\u00fcller, who is joined in Charlotte by teammate Andr\u00e9s Cubas<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can already see the connection because All-Star players [are] always the special players of the team, and you can see how they touch the ball. I’m really excited to be on the pitch with them.\u201d<\/p>\n In the case of M\u00fcller, a 13-time German Bundesliga champion, two-time UEFA Champions League winner and two-time FIFA Club World Cup<\/a> victor, those connections can be years in the making. At least, that is the feeling when linking up with Tottenham Hotspur icon and current LAFC<\/a> forward Son Heung-Min<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest, I was always playing kind of against Sonny in Germany and some games also in [the UEFA] Champions League against the Spurs. He was always a player [who] was always good enough also to join, maybe Bayern, [and] I could play with him at Bayern,\u201d recalled M\u00fcller.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt never worked out. So I enjoy to speak a little bit in German with him, to exchange the experiences. So maybe with him, it’s the most fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Perhaps chatting about their Saturday plans? \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udd25#VWFC<\/a> | #MLSAllStar<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/GCROV3mPvo<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) July 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n M\u00fcller\u2019s first MLS All-Star appearance will also serve as the fifth meeting between the best of MLS and LIGA MX, with MLS holding a 3-1 advantage, most recently triumphing in Austin last year.<\/p>\n Building on the long-term rivalry between these two leagues that began in the Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> and has grown through exciting Leagues Cup<\/a> clashes in recent seasons, the All-Star Game is yet another occasion for the bordering leagues to test themselves against one another.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that’s unique, but I think it makes sense because both have a little bit of understanding that they’re a pretty decent league, and increasing the level year by year,\u201d said M\u00fcller. \u201cSo it really makes sense to compete, and I think we already saw in the past some pretty good games in the Concacaf [Champions Cup] or in last year’s Leagues Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n Having played previous iterations of the summer showcase against European giants, or by pitting conferences against each other, the All-Star Game format has returned to a clash against LIGA MX for the fifth time in six years due to the excitement and entertainment generated on each occasion.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the setup is nice to not compete with each other, [but rather] compete with another league,\u201d said M\u00fcller. \u201cIt unites us a little bit. We are a team. It’s not about West against East, so I think that the concept is good.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n “I had my own boots.. they just arrived late. I had forgotten them in the meal room and the MLS team made it happen to bring them in.. so it was my boots not Sonny’s.” \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f<\/p>\n Thomas M\u00fcller addresses the boot allegations in his first media availability of MLS All-Star Week \ud83c\udf1f#VWFC<\/a>\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/XvVrSwfFTK<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2014 Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) July 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n In addition to suiting up for the MLS All-Stars on Wednesday night, M\u00fcller will participate in the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T on Tuesday night, once again partnering with his MLS colleagues in a one-of-a-kind competition against their southern neighbors (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s the first time I’ve experienced it. I know it from back in the days, when I looked at it from Europe, but it was not really a big thing for me,\u201d M\u00fcller said of his inaugural All-Star adventure.<\/p>\n \u201cBut now to me, all these great players of our league, all these players are doing the special stuff, week in and week out, scoring the goals, great goalkeepers there, so I’m looking forward to being on the pitch with them.”<\/p>\n He added: \u201cAlso with the Skills Challenge, it could be very enjoyable, not only for the fans, also for us players.\u201d<\/p>\n As for how the game on Wednesday night will unfold, M\u00fcller is just as eager as fans to find out.<\/p>\n “I don’t know what to expect, to be honest,\u201d M\u00fcller said, laughing. \u201cThat’s my first time. Everything is new for me, so I will see.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n \n
Avengers assemble<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Rivalry renewed<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Show off your skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n