{"id":69226,"date":"2025-08-14T14:40:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T14:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/69226\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T14:40:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T14:40:15","slug":"muller-mania-grips-yvr-as-whitecaps-new-german-superstar-touches-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/69226\/","title":{"rendered":"M\u00fcller-mania grips YVR as Whitecaps\u2019 new German superstar touches down"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The arrival area at Vancouver International Airport was packed with excited fans on Wednesday, as German soccer superstar Thomas M\u00fcller touched down for the first time.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755073388_375_70c8fc80.png\" alt=\"\" style=\"position:absolute;width:1px;height:1px\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The 35-year-old is slated to officially ink his contract with the MLS <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/tag\/vancouver-whitecaps\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Vancouver Whitecaps<\/a> on Thursday, in one of the city\u2019s largest-ever professional sports signings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c(I\u2019m here) to play soccer. Football, but now I play soccer,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">World class here by Thomas Muller\u2026signed as many autographs as he could and took selfies too\u2026what a day for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VWFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">#VWFC<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5ktIfZG3Nx\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/5ktIfZG3Nx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 JAY JANOWER (@JayJanower) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JayJanower\/status\/1955796449557667864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">August 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-video__image\" alt=\"Click to play video: 'Whitecaps officially sign Thomas M\u00fcller'\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WEB_MN_ALEX_SCHUSTER_AUG_7TH.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"   data-\/><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t5:13<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhitecaps officially sign Thomas M\u00fcller\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>The star was greeted by delegates from the Musqueam First Nation who gave him a ceremonial escort and blanket, before heading out to sign autographs for throngs of supporters.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"170\" height=\"225\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755073389_716_national.jpg\" alt=\"For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tGet breaking National news<\/p>\n<p>For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.<\/p>\n<p>He then moved on to the airport\u2019s White Spot, where he surprised hundreds of \u2018Caps fans who had gathered for a watch party for the club\u2019s Canadian Championship semifinal draw against Forge FC in Hamilton.<\/p>\n<p>Among those gathered at the airport \u2014 decked out in Whitecaps kit and a Germany hat \u2014 was Manfred Bartel, former consul at Germany\u2019s Vancouver consulate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is something very special. For as long as I know what soccer means, Thomas Muller is on the top. And I see him here after 22 years coming to Canada in Vancouver, I\u2019m just excited,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe helped us win the World Cup in 2014,\u201d young Germany fan Sebastian Konkobor said.<\/p>\n<p>Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a feeling when they said he was coming to MLS I had a slight feeling (he would come to Vancouver), but I wasn\u2019t sure. I saw it, and I was like refreshing the Instagram every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\tTrending Now\n\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11334305\/air-canada-strike-binding-arbitration-request-minister-cupe\/\" class=\"c-posts__inner\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-posts__thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6ece92cc4f32ebdfd0b1edaff43d400799e3f1d7cff67405c38bb718c7891f6b.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"336\" height=\"224\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tAir Canada asks for binding arbitration as imminent shutdown looms\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11332831\/air-canada-flights-strike-your-rights\/\" class=\"c-posts__inner\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-posts__thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755182414_675_Air-Canada-Flight-Attendants-Passengers.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"336\" height=\"224\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tGot an Air Canada ticket? Your rights, as strike flight cancellations begin\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-video__image\" alt=\"Click to play video: 'German soccer legend Thomas M\u00fcller brings star power to Vancouver Whitecaps'\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WEB_MULLER_333.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"   data-\/><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2:54<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGerman soccer legend Thomas M\u00fcller brings star power to Vancouver Whitecaps\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>The excitement began growing earlier Wednesday when M\u00fcller posted to Instagram from his plane.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m on my flight to Vancouver. I\u2019m looking for the GOAT. Can you help me? I cannot find him anywhere,\u201d M\u00fcller wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s my first flight without Manuel Neuer since maybe 15 years, I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m very excited to come to Vancouver to play for the Whitecaps. Fingers crossed for my first games. See you there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Whitecaps will be M\u00fcller\u2019s first ever assignment with a team other than Bayern Munich.<\/p>\n<p>Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<p>The star signed with the club\u2019s academy at just 10 years old, and went on to become one of its biggest names, racking up 1e Bundesliga titles and two champions leagues along the way, in addition to a World Cup win with Germany in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>Vancouver said last week\u00a0M\u00fcller\u00a0will join the Whitecaps for the remainder of the season in an open roster spot, with a Designated Player option for 2026.<\/p>\n<p>He is expected to make his debut at BC Place on Sunday when the Whitecaps host the Houston Dynamo.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t&amp;copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.\t<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The arrival area at Vancouver International Airport was packed with excited fans on Wednesday, as German soccer superstar&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":69227,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[49,48,82,25424],"class_list":{"0":"post-69226","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-vancouver-whitecaps"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}