Thomas Müller wants to keep dancing. He’ll get the chance to do just that when his Vancouver Whitecaps FC take on Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the 2025 MLS Cup next Saturday.
“When I came to Vancouver [in August], I wanted to be very successful with the Whitecaps, and since then, it’s been like a Cinderella story, and I just am trying to keep on dancing like Cinderella,” he told reporters after the Western Conference final on Saturday.
Vancouver advanced to their first MLS Cup after a dominant 3–1 win against San Diego FC, with a brace from U.S. men’s national team striker Brian White and an own goal, orchestrated by Canadian international Ali Ahmed.
It’s their first MLS Western Conference title since joining the league in 2011 and sets up a winner-take-all clash with Inter Miami in Fort Lauderdale.
“We have a game ahead of us, and it will be the biggest of the season, so we are not taking our foot off the pedal,” manager Jesper Sørensen said postmatch, not allowing himself to celebrate the Western Conference honor. “We’re just working the best we can, as hard as we can, and the smartest we can, and now we’re in another final.”
Just 115 days after signing with the Whitecaps, Müller will now play in his second final, after winning the 2025 Canadian Championship to become the most decorated German of all time.
His decision to come to Vancouver came down to several factors: He saw Vancouver as an attractive city and the Whitecaps as a competitive option, given their standing and run to the Concacaf Champions Cup final in the spring, but making MLS Cup still seemed like a lofty goal.
Yet, with a series sweep of FC Dallas, a nail-biting penalty shootout victory against Son Heung-min’s LAFC, and a dominant showing against San Diego, they’ve made it: A date with Miami for MLS Cup.
“We’re not done yet, but I’ve seen the progress. When I came in in August, they were already in really good shape.” Müller added. “I think we are still growing, and we are still building it step by step. I have to feel we are in great shape as a group, and I try to let my teammates join in and learn from my experience, as I did from veteran players when I was younger.”
