Career Timeline of Thomas Müller: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Thomas Müller built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Thomas Müller is a highly regarded German professional footballer known for his versatility as an attacking midfielder or forward. Recognized for his exceptional positioning, finishing, playmaking abilities, work-rate, and consistency in contributing to both scoring and creating goals, he is considered one of the best players of his time. As of now, Müller is a free agent.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1938: Germany crashed out of the World Cup at the group stage for the first time since 1938

In 2018, Müller played in the World Cup, Germany crashed out of the World Cup at the group stage for the first time since 1938

1965: 500th Competitive Appearance for Bayern

On November 2, 2019, Müller made his 500th competitive appearance for Bayern, becoming the 10th Bayern player to reach this mark since the club's promotion to the Bundesliga in 1965.

1982: Germany failed to score in shoot-out since 1982 World Cup

In 2016 Germany played in the quarter-final match against Italy, Müller's shot was the first one to be saved in the penalty shoot-out during the tournament. This was also the first time Germany failed to score in a shoot-out since Uli Stielike missed in the 1982 World Cup.

1982: Germany avoided collusion

In June 2014, Müller helped win Group G and dispelled fear of collusion between German coach Joachim Löw and American coach Jürgen Klinsmann to play to a result that benefited both Germany and the US as had occurred in 1982.

2000: Changes made after Euro 2000 failure

After the national team's failure at Euro 2000, Germany emphasized a more open, attack-minded style and included prominent young players, including Müller, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil.

2000: Joins Bayern Munich Youth System

In 2000, at the age of 10, Thomas Müller joined Bayern Munich's youth system.

2004: Represented Germany at under-16 level

In 2004, Müller started representing Germany at various youth levels, beginning with the under-16 team.

2007: Runner-up in Under 19 Bundesliga

In 2007, Thomas Müller was part of the Bayern Munich team that finished runner-up in the Under 19 Bundesliga.

2007: Regionalliga Appearances

In 2007-2008 season, Thomas Müller made two more Regionalliga appearances, while continuing to play for the under-19 team.

March 2008: Debut for Bayern Munich Reserve Team

In March 2008, Thomas Müller made his debut for the Bayern Munich reserve team, scoring in a Regionalliga match against SpVgg Unterhaching.

August 2008: Full Debut in Bundesliga

On August 15, 2008, Thomas Müller made his full debut for Bayern Munich, coming on as a substitute in a Bundesliga match against Hamburger SV.

February 2009: Signs First Contract for Senior Team

In February 2009, Thomas Müller signed his first contract for the senior team of Bayern Munich, a two-year deal effective from the 2009–10 season.

March 2009: Champions League Debut and Goal

In March 2009, Thomas Müller made his Champions League debut, scoring Bayern Munich's last goal in a 7–1 win over Sporting CP.

September 2009: Breakthrough into Bayern First Team

In September 2009, Thomas Müller broke into the Bayern Munich first team under Louis van Gaal. On September 12, 2009, he scored two goals against Borussia Dortmund. Three days later, he scored another brace in a Champions League victory over Maccabi Haifa. He was named the Bundesliga Player of the Month.

2009: Joins Bayern Munich first team

In 2009, Thomas Müller joined Bayern Munich's first team after Louis van Gaal was appointed as the main coach.

January 2010: Called up to Senior Squad

In January 2010, Müller was called up to the senior squad for a training session in Sindelfingen and was named in the squad for a friendly against Argentina in March.

February 2010: Signs New Contract with Bayern Munich

In February 2010, Thomas Müller signed a new contract with Bayern Munich through 2013.

April 2010: Scores Against Schalke 04

In April 2010, Thomas Müller scored the second goal in a 2–1 win against title rivals Schalke 04.

2010: Played in FIFA World Cup

In 2010, Müller was named in Germany's squad for the FIFA World Cup and was allocated the number 13. He scored his first international goal in a 4–0 win over Australia.

2010: Bayern League and Cup Double

In 2010, Thomas Müller played almost every game of the season as Bayern won the league and cup double and reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League final.

2010: Completes Domestic Double with Bayern

In 2010, Thomas Müller played in all 34 Bundesliga matches, recorded 13 goals and 11 assists. Bayern won 4-0 to complete the domestic double. Bayern also reached the 2010 Champions League Final but lost 2-0 to Inter Milan.

2010: Germany National Team Call-Up and World Cup Success

In 2010, Thomas Müller was called up to the Germany national team. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he scored five goals in six appearances as Germany finished in third place. He was named the Best Young Player of the tournament and won the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer.

March 2011: Scored goals against Kazakhstan

In March 2011, Müller scored two goals in a 4–0 win over Kazakhstan.

September 2011: Provided assists for goals

In September 2011, Müller provided assists for three goals in a 6–2 win over Austria which secured Germany's qualification for the Euro finals with two games to spare.

September 2011: Ends Goal Drought Against 1. FC Kaiserslautern

In September 2011, Thomas Müller ended a goal drought with a header in Bayern's 2-0 victory against 1. FC Kaiserslautern.

November 2011: Scores Against FC Ingolstadt

On 26 November 2011, Müller scored the opener on the half-hour in Bayern's 6–0 thrashing of FC Ingolstadt, giving him his second DFB-Pokal goal.

May 2012: Champions League Final Goal

On 19 May 2012, Thomas Müller scored the opening goal in the 83rd minute of the Champions League final against Chelsea.

August 2012: First Bundesliga Goal of the Season

On August 27, 2012, Thomas Müller scored his first Bundesliga goal of the season over 2. Bundesliga champions SpVgg Greuther Fürth in Bayern's 3–0 victory.

2012: Qualified for Euro 2012

In 2012, Müller started all ten of Germany's Euro qualifiers, as the team qualified for the finals with a 100% record.

2012: Champions League Final Goal

In 2012, Thomas Müller scored in the UEFA Champions League final, although Bayern lost the final on penalties.

2012: Contract Extension with Bayern Munich

In December 2012, Thomas Müller pledged his allegiance and signed a two-year contract extension with Bayern Munich, keeping him at the Allianz Arena until 2017.

2012: DFL-Supercup Goal

Thomas Müller scored one goal in the 2012 DFL-Supercup as Bayern won the match 2–1.

March 2013: Scored World Cup qualifying goals

On 22 March 2013, Müller scored his first World Cup qualifying goals, getting Germany's opener and final goal in a 3–0 away win over Kazakhstan.

April 2013: Champions League Semi-Final Win Against Barcelona

In April 2013, Thomas Müller scored two goals and gave an assist in a 4–0 win against Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals at the Allianz Arena.

2013: 2013-14 Season

After the 2013-14 season, Müller signed a new contract keeping him at Bayern until 2019 and rejected a contract offer from Manchester United.

2013: Beginning of the 2013–14 Season

In 2013, Müller began the 2013-14 season under new manager Pep Guardiola by playing in the German Super Cup. On August 5, he scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win against Schwarz-Weiß Rehden in the DFB-Pokal. In Bayern's opening Bundesliga fixture of 2013-14, Müller missed a penalty and later stated his willingness to let David Alaba take future spot kicks. He also played in the UEFA Super Cup.

2013: Goals Against Hannover 96 and VfL Wolfsburg

In 2013, on September 25, Müller scored twice against Hannover 96 in the DFB-Pokal. On September 28, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg. He also scored his first Champions League goal of the 2013-14 campaign against Manchester City on October 2 and later played in the FIFA Club World Cup final.

2013: Signs New Contract with Bayern Munich

In February 2010, Thomas Müller signed a new contract with Bayern Munich through 2013.

May 2014: DFB-Pokal Final Goal

On May 17, 2014, Müller scored Bayern's second goal in a 2–0 extra-time defeat of Borussia Dortmund in the 2014 DFB-Pokal Final. He finished as the tournament's top scorer with eight goals in five appearances.

June 2014: Scored hat-trick against Portugal

On 16 June 2014, in Germany's opening match of the 2014 World Cup, Müller scored the first hat-trick of the tournament in a 4–0 win against Portugal.

August 2014: Goal Against Preußen Münster and VfL Wolfsburg

In August 2014, Müller's first goal of the season was against Preußen Münster in the DFB-Pokal on August 17. Then in the opening match of the Bundesliga, on August 22, 2014, Müller scored the opening goal of Bayern's Bundesliga season against VfL Wolfsburg.

2014: FIFA World Cup Win and Awards

In 2014, Thomas Müller played a major role in helping the Germany national team win the FIFA World Cup trophy. He scored five goals and received the Silver Ball as the tournament's second best player and the Silver Boot as the second top goalscorer. He was also named in the World Cup All-Star XI and in the Dream Team.

March 2015: UEFA Champions League Record

On March 11, 2015, Müller scored two goals against Shakhtar Donetsk, equaling Mario Gómez as the top-scoring German player in UEFA Champions League history.

April 2015: Becomes Leading German Scorer in UEFA Champions League

On April 21, 2015, Müller became the leading German scorer in the UEFA Champions League after scoring in a 6–1 win against Porto.

December 2015: New contract and Goal Against Hannover 96

In December 2015, Müller signed a new contract with Bayern, keeping him at the club until 2021. On December 19, 2015, Bayern defeated Hannover 96 1–0 with a goal from the penalty mark from Müller.

2015: Contract Extension with Bayern Munich

Thomas Müller had extended his stay at Bayern until 2015.

March 2016: Goals Against Werder Bremen and Juventus

In March 2016, Müller scored a brace in a 5–0 victory over Werder Bremen on March 12. Four days later, on March 16, he scored a 91st-minute equaliser against Juventus in the Champions League round of 16.

April 2016: Goals Against Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal

In April 2016, Müller scored both goals in Bayern's 2–0 defeat of Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal semi-final on April 19. His first goal of the match was his 150th for the club in all competitions.

May 2016: Penalty Missed and Champions League Elimination

On May 3, 2016, Müller had a penalty kick saved in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Atlético Madrid. The match ended in a 2–1 win for Bayern, but the team was knocked out on away goals.

August 2016: German Super Cup Win

In August 2016, Müller started the season by winning and scoring in the 2016 German Super Cup against Borussia Dortmund on August 14.

2016: Played in UEFA Euro 2016

In 2016, Müller featured in nine of ten matches during Germany's qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016, scoring nine goals as Germany topped their qualifying group.

2017: Start of the 2017–18 Season

Müller started the 2017-18 season by playing in the 2017 German Super Cup. He played in the opening 67 minutes before being replaced by Kingsley Coman.

2017: Contract at Allianz Arena until 2017

Thomas Müller pledged his allegiance claiming he was at home in Munich and that he signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him at the Allianz Arena until 2017.

January 2018: Two Goals Against Werder Bremen

On January 21, 2018, Müller scored two goals against Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, with his second goal in the match being his 100th in the competition.

February 2018: Two Goals Against Beşiktaş

On February 20, 2018, Müller scored two goals against Beşiktaş in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.

April 2018: Hat-Trick Against Bayer Leverkusen

On April 17, 2018, Müller scored a hat-trick in Bayern's 6–2 defeat of Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals.

November 2018: Goals Against Fortuna Düsseldorf

On November 24, 2018, Müller scored two goals against Fortuna Düsseldorf in the Bundesliga.

December 2018: Champions League Appearance and Red Card

On December 12, 2018, Müller played his 105th Champions League match against Ajax, leveling Philipp Lahm's record at Bayern. In that same match, Müller was sent off for the first time in his career.

December 2018: 300th Bundesliga Appearance

On December 15, 2018, Müller made his 300th Bundesliga appearance for Bayern against Hannover 96.

2018: Played in 2018 FIFA World Cup

In 2018, Müller was selected in Germany's squad for the FIFA World Cup and played in all three matches, but Germany crashed out at the group stage.

March 2019: Dropped from national team

On 5 March 2019, national team coach Joachim Löw confirmed that he would plan without Müller for the foreseeable future. Müller expressed his anger and surprise at the decision.

May 2019: Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal Titles

In May 2019, Müller won his seventh consecutive Bundesliga title and his fifth DFB-Pokal as Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 3–0 in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final.

November 2019: 500th Competitive Appearance for Bayern

On November 2, 2019, Müller made his 500th competitive appearance for Bayern.

2019: New Contract with Bayern

After the 2013-14 season, Müller signed a new contract keeping him at Bayern until 2019 and rejected a contract offer from Manchester United.

2019: Champions League Quarter-Finals Against Barcelona

In 2019, on August 14, Müller scored a brace and assisted another in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League quarter-final match against Barcelona, which ended in an 8–2 win.

2019: Breaks Bundesliga Assist Record

In the 2019-2020 season, Thomas Müller broke the Bundesliga record for assists in a season with 21 and scored 14 goals as Bayern won a second treble.

April 2020: Contract Extension and Assist Record

On April 7, 2020, Müller signed a contract extension with Bayern until 2023. He also broke the record for most assists in a Bundesliga season, finishing with 21 assists.

September 2020: Goal Against Schalke 04 and Most Decorated German Footballer

In September 2020, on September 18, Müller scored his first goal of the season against Schalke 04. He won the UEFA Super Cup and the DFL-Supercup, becoming the most decorated German footballer with 27 trophies.

2020: UEFA Euro 2020 Consideration

In March 2021, Joachim Löw considered reversing his decision and allowing the previously barred players to partake in the upcoming UEFA Euro 2020.

2020: Played in UEFA Euro 2020

In May 2021, Müller was included in Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2020, ending a period of over two years of exclusion from the national team.

February 2021: COVID-19 Positive and Bundesliga Title

In February 2021, Müller tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the FIFA Club World Cup Final. On May 8, Müller won his ninth consecutive Bundesliga title, his 10th overall.

March 2021: Löw considered reversing decision

In March 2021, Löw admitted he was considering reversing his decision to drop Müller and other Bayern teammates, and Müller stated he was ready to return.

May 2021: Included in Germany's Euro 2020 squad

On 19 May 2021, Müller was included in Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2020, ending a period of over two years of exclusion from the national team.

August 2021: Goal and Assist Against Borussia Dortmund

In August 2021, on August 17, Müller scored his first goal of the season, and provided one assist, in a 3–1 away win against Borussia Dortmund in the 2021 DFL-Supercup.

2021: New Contract with Bayern

In December 2015, Müller signed a new contract with Bayern, keeping him at the club until 2021. On December 19, 2015, Bayern defeated Hannover 96 1–0 with a goal from the penalty mark from Müller.

April 2022: 10th Consecutive Bundesliga Title Win

On April 23, 2022, following a 3–1 win against Dortmund, Bayern won their 10th consecutive Bundesliga title. In the process, Müller became the player with the most Bundesliga title wins in history with 11.

November 2022: Selected for 2022 FIFA World Cup

In November 2022, Müller was selected in the final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but Germany were eliminated in the group stage.

April 2023: Two goals against Dortmund

On April 1, 2023, Müller scored a brace in a 4–2 win over Dortmund as Bayern regain top position in the league.

August 2023: Sixteen Bundesliga Seasons Played

On August 18, 2023, Müller came off the bench in a 4–0 win over Werder Bremen, participating in his 16th Bundesliga season, a club record.

December 2023: Contract Extension with Bayern

On December 19, 2023, Müller extended his contract with Bayern until June 30, 2025.

2023: Contract Extension and Assist Record

On April 7, 2020, Müller signed a contract extension with Bayern until 2023. He also broke the record for most assists in a Bundesliga season, finishing with 21 assists.

2023: New Contract with Bayern

On May 3, 2022, Müller extended his contract with Bayern, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2023–24 season.

February 2024: 500 Wins with Bayern

On February 3, 2024, Müller became the first player to reach 500 wins with Bayern in a 3–1 league victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach.

July 2024: Retired from international football

On 15 July 2024, Müller announced his retirement from international football, having scored 45 goals in 131 appearances.

August 2024: Goals against Ulm

On August 16, 2024, Müller scored his club's first goals of the season, by netting a brace in a 4–0 away win over Ulm in the DFB-Pokal. On August 25, he played in the league opening match against Wolfsburg, reaching a record of 474 Bundesliga appearances with the club

2024: Named in Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2024

In 2024, Müller was named in Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2024. In the team's opening match against Scotland on 14 June, he came on as a substitute for Jamal Musiala in the 74th minute and assisted Emre Can's fifth goal of the 5–1 win.