Thomas Müller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Thomas Müller

Müller with Bayern Munich in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Müller
Date of birth	(1989-09-13) 13 September 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth	Weilheim in Oberbayern, West Germany
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Forward attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Bayern Munich
Number	25
Youth career
1993–2000	TSV Pähl
2000–2008	Bayern Munich
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2009	Bayern Munich II	35	(16)
2008–	Bayern Munich	491	(150)
International career
2004–2005	Germany U16	6	(0)
2007	Germany U19	3	(0)
2008	Germany U20	1	(1)
2009	Germany U21	6	(1)
2010–2024	Germany	131	(45)
Medal record Men's Football Representing  Germany FIFA World Cup Winner 2014 Brazil Third 2010 South Africa UEFA European Championship Third 2012 Poland-Ukraine
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:25, 25 January 2025 (UTC)

Thomas Müller (born on September 13, 1989) is a German professional footballer. He plays for the German club Bayern Munich. Thomas is known for playing as an attacking midfielder or a second striker. Many people think he is one of the best players of his time. He is praised for his smart positioning, scoring goals, creating chances for others, and working hard on the field.

Thomas Müller grew up in Bayern Munich's youth system. He has played for the club his entire career. With Bayern, he has won many titles, including a record twelve Bundesliga titles. He also won six DFB-Pokals, two UEFA Champions League titles, and two FIFA Club World Cups. He joined the main team in the 2009–10 season. That year, Bayern won the league and cup, and reached the Champions League final. In the 2012–13 season, Bayern won a historic "treble" (league, cup, and Champions League). Thomas also set a Bundesliga record for assists in a season with 21 in the 2019–20 season. He has played over 710 matches for Bayern, making him the club's all-time record appearance holder.

Müller joined the German national team in 2010. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he scored five goals. Germany finished in third place. He was named the Best Young Player of the tournament and won the Golden Boot for being the top scorer. In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he helped Germany win the trophy. He scored five goals and received the Silver Ball (second best player) and Silver Boot (second top goalscorer). He retired from international football after UEFA Euro 2024.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out

Thomas Müller started playing football as a child for TSV Pähl. When he was 10, he joined the famous club Bayern Munich in 2000. He moved up through their youth teams. In 2007, his youth team finished second in the Under 19 Bundesliga.

Joining Bayern Munich's Main Team

Müller first played for Bayern's reserve team in March 2008. He scored a goal in his very first game! The next season, he became a key player for the reserve team, scoring 15 goals.

He made his debut for the main Bayern Munich team on August 15, 2008. This was in a Bundesliga match against Hamburger SV. In February 2009, he signed his first professional contract with the senior team.

Becoming a Regular Player (2009–10)

When Louis van Gaal became the new manager, Thomas Müller quickly became a regular player for Bayern. On September 12, 2009, he scored two goals in a 5–1 win against Borussia Dortmund. Just three days later, he scored two more goals in a Champions League game.

In February 2010, Müller signed a new contract with Bayern until 2013. He played in all 34 Bundesliga matches that season. He scored 13 goals and made 11 assists. Bayern won the German league title and the DFB-Pokal (German Cup). They reached the Champions League final but lost to Inter Milan. Müller played 52 matches and scored 19 goals in his first full season. He was voted the best newcomer of the season by other players.

Continuing Success (2010–11)

Müller signed another contract extension, staying at Bayern until 2015. He scored the first goal in the Supercup against Schalke 04, which Bayern won 2–0. He also scored the opening goal of Bayern's league season.

He played in every match during the first half of the season. He scored a great goal in a 2–0 Champions League win against Roma. Müller ended the season with 19 goals in all competitions.

Champions League Final Heartbreak (2011–12)

Müller scored his first league goal of the season against Schalke 04. On May 19, 2012, he scored the first goal in the Champions League final against Chelsea. He scored with a powerful header. However, Chelsea scored late, and Bayern lost the final on penalties. Müller was disappointed but wanted to stay at Bayern. He scored 11 goals in all competitions that season.

Winning the Treble (2012–13)

This was a fantastic season for Müller and Bayern. He scored two goals against VfB Stuttgart in a 6–1 win. He also scored a penalty in the Champions League against Lille.

On April 23, 2013, Müller scored two goals and made an assist in a 4–0 win against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals. In the second game, he scored again as Bayern won 3–0. Bayern won the final against Borussia Dortmund 2–1. On June 1, Müller scored a penalty in the DFB-Pokal final. Bayern won 3–2 against VfB Stuttgart, completing a historic "treble" (league, cup, and Champions League). Müller scored 23 goals that season.

More Trophies (2013–14)

Under new manager Pep Guardiola, Müller continued to score. He scored a hat-trick in the DFB-Pokal first round. He also scored twice against Hannover 96 in the cup.

Müller scored his first Champions League goal of the season against Manchester City. He also played in the FIFA Club World Cup final, which Bayern won 2–0. He scored Bayern's second goal in a Champions League quarter-final win against Manchester United. He also scored in the 2014 DFB-Pokal Final, which Bayern won 2–0 against Borussia Dortmund. Müller was the top scorer in the DFB-Pokal with eight goals. He finished the season with 26 goals in all competitions.

New Contract and More Goals (2014–15)

After the 2013–14 season, Müller signed a new contract with Bayern until 2019. He scored his first goal of the season in the DFB-Pokal. He also scored in the opening Bundesliga match against VfL Wolfsburg.

On March 11, 2015, Müller scored two goals against Shakhtar Donetsk. This made him the top-scoring German player in Champions League history. He scored again against Porto to break the record. He finished the season with 21 goals in all competitions.

Record-Breaking Season (2015–16)

Müller at a training session in 2015

Müller started this season very strongly. He scored two goals against Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen. He also scored two goals against Borussia Dortmund. In the Champions League, he scored two goals against Olympiacos and two against Arsenal. He became the youngest player to win 50 Champions League games.

On December 18, 2015, Müller signed a new contract with Bayern until 2021. He scored 14 goals in the first half of the league season. On March 16, 2016, he scored a very important goal against Juventus in the Champions League. Bayern won in extra time. He scored his 150th goal for the club in a DFB-Pokal semi-final. This was Müller's best scoring season, with 32 goals in all competitions.

Challenges and Assists (2016–17)

Müller started the season by scoring in the German Super Cup against Borussia Dortmund. He had a long period without scoring in the league. However, he provided 12 assists in the Bundesliga. He finished the season with five goals in the league.

Reaching Milestones (2017–18)

Müller at a training session in 2017

Müller scored his first goal of the season against Mainz. On January 21, 2018, he scored two goals against Werder Bremen. His second goal was his 100th in the Bundesliga.

On February 20, 2018, Müller scored two goals against Beşiktaş in the Champions League. On April 17, he scored a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals. He scored eight goals and made 14 assists in the league that season.

More Titles and Records (2018–19)

Müller started the season by scoring in the German Super Cup. On December 12, 2018, he played his 105th Champions League match. This tied the record for most Champions League appearances at Bayern. He also received his first red card in his career in that game.

On December 15, 2018, Müller played his 300th Bundesliga game for Bayern. On May 18, 2019, he won his seventh Bundesliga title in a row. This was his eighth Bundesliga title overall. A week later, he won his fifth DFB-Pokal.

Second Treble and Assist Record (2019–20)

On November 2, 2019, Müller played his 500th game for Bayern. He became the 10th Bayern player to reach this milestone. The next month, he became the first player to get 11 assists in the first half of a Bundesliga season.

On April 7, 2020, Müller signed a contract extension until 2023. He broke the record for most assists in a Bundesliga season with 21. On August 14, Müller scored two goals and assisted another in an amazing 8–2 win against Barcelona in the Champions League. Bayern then won the Champions League final 1–0 against Paris Saint-Germain. This was Bayern's sixth Champions League title and Müller's second. He finished the season with 14 goals and many assists.

Most Decorated German Player (2020–21)

On September 18, 2020, Müller scored his first goal of the season in an 8–0 win. He then won the UEFA Super Cup and the DFL-Supercup. This made him the most decorated German footballer in history with 27 trophies.

In February 2021, Müller tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup Final. However, Bayern won the final, completing their "sextuple" (winning six trophies in one year). On May 8, Müller won his ninth Bundesliga title in a row. This was his 10th Bundesliga title overall.

More Records (2021–22)

On August 17, 2021, Müller scored his first goal of the season in the 2021 DFL-Supercup. On November 19, he played his 600th game for Bayern. He became the fourth player to reach this many appearances for the club. On December 8, Müller scored his 50th goal in the Champions League. He is only the 8th player in history to do so.

On December 17, Müller played his 400th Bundesliga match. On April 23, 2022, Bayern won their 10th Bundesliga title in a row. This made Müller the player with the most Bundesliga title wins ever, with 11. He extended his contract with Bayern until 2024.

Even More Titles (2022–23)

On April 1, 2023, Müller scored two goals in a 4–2 win over Dortmund. Bayern won their 11th Bundesliga title in a row. Müller extended his record by winning his 12th league title overall. He scored 8 goals in 40 matches that season.

Continuing Milestones (2023–24)

On August 18, 2023, Müller played in his 16th Bundesliga season. He is the first player at Bayern to do this. On September 20, he played in a Champions League win against Manchester United. He became the third player to reach 100 wins in the competition. On December 19, 2023, he extended his contract with Bayern until 2025.

On February 3, 2024, Müller became the first player to reach 500 wins with Bayern. On April 6, he played his 700th match for Bayern. On April 30, he played his 150th Champions League match. He is the third player to achieve this with one club. He finished the season with 7 goals in 41 matches.

New All-Time Appearance Record (2024–25)

On August 16, 2024, Müller scored two goals in the DFB-Pokal. On August 25, he played in the league opening match. This gave him 474 Bundesliga appearances, tying a club record. On September 1, he set a new record for the most appearances for Bayern, reaching 710 matches. He also scored his 150th Bundesliga goal in that game. On September 17, he played his 152nd Champions League match, breaking the record for most appearances for one club in the competition. On December 20, 2024, Müller became the first player in history to win 350 Bundesliga matches.

International Career

Müller wore number 13 for Germany, a number famously worn by German legend Gerd Müller.

Müller with Germany in 2011

Müller in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Austria.

Thomas Müller played for Germany at different youth levels, starting in 2004. In August 2009, he was called up to the under-21 team. He scored one goal in an 11–0 win against San Marino.

In March 2010, he made his debut for the senior German national team. This was in a friendly match against Argentina.

2010 FIFA World Cup

Müller was chosen for Germany's team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He wore the number 13 jersey. He scored his first international goal in Germany's 4–0 win over Australia.

Müller played in all of Germany's group games. He scored twice and assisted once in a 4–1 win over England. In the quarter-final against Argentina, he scored his fourth goal of the tournament. However, he received a yellow card and was suspended for the semi-final against Spain. He returned for the third-place playoff against Uruguay and scored his fifth goal. Germany won 3–2 and took the bronze medals.

With five goals, Müller was one of the top goalscorers of the tournament. He won the Golden Boot award. He also won the Best Young Player Award.

UEFA Euro 2012

Müller played in all ten of Germany's Euro 2012 qualifying matches. Germany won all their games. Müller provided seven assists and scored three goals during the qualifiers.

Müller was part of the German squad for Euro 2012. Germany reached the semi-finals but lost to Italy.

2014 FIFA World Cup

Müller (no. 13) celebrating with Germany after winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Müller scored his first World Cup qualifying goals in March 2013 against Kazakhstan. He scored four goals in Germany's successful qualification campaign.

On June 16, 2014, in Germany's first match of the 2014 World Cup, Müller scored the first hat-trick of the tournament. Germany won 4–0 against Portugal. On June 26, Müller scored the only goal against the United States. This helped Germany win their group.

On July 8, Müller scored Germany's first goal in their amazing 7–1 win against Brazil in the semi-finals. This was Germany's 2,000th goal in history. Müller became only the third player to score at least five goals in each of his first two World Cups.

After playing all 120 minutes of Germany's 1–0 win against Argentina in the final, Müller received the Silver Boot. He was the tournament's second-top goalscorer with five goals. He was also named in the World Cup All-Star Team.

UEFA Euro 2016

Müller played in nine of ten matches during Germany's qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016. He scored nine goals.

Müller started in all six matches Germany played at the finals. In the quarter-final against Italy, Müller missed a penalty in the shootout. Germany still won the shootout 6–5. Müller did not score any goals in the tournament. Germany was knocked out by France in the semi-finals.

2018 FIFA World Cup

Müller was chosen for Germany's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He played in all three matches against Mexico, Sweden, and South Korea. Müller did not score a goal. Germany was surprisingly knocked out in the group stage for the first time since 1938.

Return to the National Team (UEFA Euro 2020)

In March 2019, the national team coach said Müller would not be part of the team for a while. Müller was "angry and surprised" by this decision. However, in May 2021, Müller was called back to the German squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He said he was "definitely ready" to return. In the Euro 2020 round of 16, Müller missed a big chance against England. England went on to win 2–0. Müller played 15 matches in the European Championship without scoring.

2022 FIFA World Cup

In November 2022, Müller was selected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He played in all three matches for Germany. However, he did not score. Germany was eliminated in the group stage for the second World Cup in a row.

UEFA Euro 2024 and Retirement

Müller was named in Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2024. In the opening match against Scotland, he came on as a substitute and assisted a goal in a 5–1 win. He also played as a substitute in the quarter-finals against Spain, which Germany lost.

On July 15, 2024, Thomas Müller announced he was retiring from international football. He scored 45 goals in 131 international games for Germany.

How Thomas Müller Plays

Müller is a very flexible player. When he was in Bayern's youth system, he mostly played as a midfielder. But in the main team, he plays as an attacker. Bayern Munich often uses a 4–2–3–1 formation. Müller usually plays as one of the three attacking midfielders behind the main striker. He can also play as a second striker.

Even though he is not the strongest physically, Müller is praised for his smart thinking, how well he scores, and his positioning. Former Germany manager Joachim Löw said he is "impervious to pressure." Former Bayern manager Louis van Gaal said he has amazing mental strength. Müller is very involved in building up attacks. He is known for finding open spaces in the opponent's defense. He calls himself a "space interpreter" (Raumdeuter).

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Joachim Löw said that Müller "is a very unusual player." He added that "you can't really guess where he will run, but he has one goal: 'how can I score a goal?'" Müller is also praised for his stamina and how hard he works to defend. Former Bayern assistant coach Hermann Gerland nicknamed him Radio Müller. This is because he talks a lot on the field and in the locker room.

Personal Life

Thomas Müller was born in Weilheim in Oberbayern, Germany. He grew up in the nearby village of Pähl. His parents are Klaudia and Gerhard. He has a younger brother named Simon.

Müller married his long-time girlfriend Lisa Trede in December 2009. Lisa is a semi-professional horse rider who works on a farm. In June 2011, Thomas became an ambassador for YoungWings. This charity helps children who have lost someone or experienced something difficult.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Honours and Awards

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
• DFB-Pokal: 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20
• DFL-Supercup: 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022
• UEFA Champions League: 2012–13, 2019–20
• UEFA Super Cup: 2013, 2020
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2013, 2020

Germany National Team

• FIFA World Cup: 2014 (Winner), 2010 (Third place)
• UEFA European Championship: 2012 (Third place)

Individual Awards

• FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 2010
• FIFA World Cup Best Young Player: 2010
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010, 2014
• FIFA World Cup Silver Boot: 2014
• FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 2014
• World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2010
• Bravo Award: 2010
• VDV Bundesliga Newcomer of the Season: 2010
• DFB-Pokal top scorer: 2010, 2014
• Bavarian Order of Merit: 2019
• UEFA Super Cup Man of the Match: 2020
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2019–20
• Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21
• Bundesliga Player of the Month: January 2022
• Bundesliga Goal of the Month: August 2024
• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2012–13, 2015–16, 2019–20, 2020–21
• Bayern Munich Player of the Season: 2021–22

Images for kids

• 

  Müller with Bayern Munich in Saint Petersburg, Russia, May 2011

• 

  Müller playing for Bayern in 2013

See also

In Spanish: Thomas Müller para niños

• List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances
• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
• List of one-club men in association football