Thomas Müller Kills the Fake Messi Rivalry While MLS Debates the Ronaldo What-If

People are talking crazy like Inter Miami didn’t just win the MLS Cup.

S**t is ridiculous.

Now for years, the soccer internet tried to sell us this narrative: Thomas Müller vs Lionel Messi, personal beef edition. Bundesliga chaos merchant versus Barcelona deity. Tactical menace versus football art exhibit.

Turns out?

Yeah… not really.

After MLS Cup ended with Inter Miami CF beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3–1, Müller finally pulled the curtain back and told everyone to relax.

There was no rivalry.

No vendetta.

No Messi revenge tour subplot.

Just two legends crossing paths again because football has a funny way of looping itself.

Müller Didn’t Hesitate: Messi Is the Best

Müller made it clear that despite years of headlines and highlight packages, he and Lionel Messi were never anything more than respectful opponents.

 

“We don’t know each other very well,” Müller said. “We’re companions, but it’s never really become personal between us or turned into a huge rivalry.”

That’s it. That’s the tweet.

No locker-room stares. No animosity. No “circle this date” energy.

Yes, Müller has been on teams that beat Messi-led squads. Yes, those moments live forever in Champions League lore, especially during his Bayern Munich years and Messi’s time at FC Barcelona.

But personal? Never.

“I’ve managed to tease him a few times,”Müller joked, referencing goals he was involved in that clearly annoyed Messi. Even then, it came with a smile, not malice.

Once Müller got going, he didn’t stop at “no rivalry.” He went full appreciation mode.

When asked if that meant he rated Messi above Cristiano Ronaldo, Müller didn’t dance around it.

 

“Messi combines numbers, facts, and results-oriented football with aesthetics,” he said. “You won’t find that anywhere else to this extent. He can do almost anything. He even heads the ball!”

No diss. No debate. Just respect from one all-time great to another.

Müller also took a subtle jab at how the MLS Cup final was framed.

“The whole game was blown out of proportion by the media, becoming a Messi vs Müller match.”

From his perspective, it was never about settling scores. It was about winning MLS Cup.

Messi lifted the trophy. Müller tipped his cap. And the imaginary rivalry officially died a quiet, respectful death.

Which brings us to the next debate MLS can’t let go of.

The Ronaldo What-If: Bigger Impact Than Messi?

While Müller was shutting down fake beef, a former Inter Miami player decided to light another fire.

Brek Shea, speaking recently, suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo would have had a bigger impact on MLS than Messi if he had followed the same path to the United States instead of Saudi Arabia.

 

“No disrespect to Messi,” Shea said, “but Messi seems like a homebody. He’s quiet. He still doesn’t speak the language well. Ronaldo is more outgoing. He does more in the public eye.”

And to be clear, Shea wasn’t talking about goals or trophies. He was talking about off-field impact.

Language.

Interviews.

Marketing.

Presence.

By that logic, Shea believes Ronaldo would have been louder, flashier, and more omnipresent in American culture if he had landed in MLS instead of signing a nine-figure deal with Al Nassr.

Reality Check: Messi Already Changed the League

Here’s the thing.

Messi doesn’t need to be loud to be seismic.

Since arriving in Miami, Messi has won:

• Leagues Cup

• Supporters’ Shield

• MLS Cup

• Golden Boot

• Back-to-back MVPs

He changed the league by winning. By elevating. By making MLS relevant globally without turning it into a circus.

Could Ronaldo have made more noise? Probably.

Could he have dominated headlines? Absolutely.

But impact isn’t volume. It’s gravity.

And Messi has bent MLS around him without ever raising his voice.

Now both legends march toward the 2026 World Cup, still competing at an absurd level, still rewriting what longevity looks like.

One chose spectacle.

One chose precision.

And somehow, MLS ended up with the quiet one who still broke everything.