Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Thomas Muller changes his mind on GOAT debate as Vancouver Whitecaps star becomes 'more romantic' with age

In an interview with MLS, Muller, the latest high-profile signing for the Vancouver Whitecaps, took a definitive stand in the long-standing "GOAT" debate. While he had previously favoured Real Madrid and Manchester United legend Ronaldo, the ex-Bayern Munich player has now officially declared Messi as the greatest the game has ever seen. This surprising shift in his opinion comes after years of fierce competition against both players on the biggest stages.

When asked in the interview to speak on the GOAT debate, Muller explained: "Lionel Messi is the GOAT. In my first 10 years as a professional player, I would have chosen Cristiano Ronaldo, but since the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, it's been Messi for me. Now, as I get older and more romantic myself, playing style and aesthetics are more important to me than individual performance, work ethic, and so on."

He further added: "Both are absolutely crazy. I don't know why it worked so often against him [Messi]."

Muller's change of mind is particularly noteworthy given his storied history against both superstars. With Bayern, he inflicted a number of memorable defeats on Messi's Barcelona, including the historic 8-2 thrashing in the 2020 Champions League. With the German national team, he was part of the squad that defeated Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final. In a previous interview, Muller had openly admitted that he chose Ronaldo because he "had good stats against Messi, but not against Ronaldo." However, with age, his criteria for greatness have shifted from a purely statistical, data-driven perspective to a more philosophical one.

Muller has recently settled into his new life in Canada after an emotional departure from Munich. After having a goal disallowed in his debut against Houston Dynamo, he went on to score a last-minute penalty to secure a 3-2 victory for the Whitecaps against St Louis City, captaining the team in his first start. The Vancouver club are currently third in their MLS conference and face Philadelphia Union on September 14.