In a recent interview, Thomas Müller spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo's near move to Bayern Munich and the eternal debate between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
After terminating his contract with Manchester United in 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo had the opportunity to join Bayern Munich.
Müller said: "From a sporting perspective, Cristiano joining Bayern would have made sense. By that point, he was already a pure goalscorer and would definitely have scored goals.
“Whether he could have integrated into the team and our style of play would have depended on the coach. Let's put it this way: it probably wouldn't have worked in Vincent Kompany's system, which requires everyone to work for each other both offensively and defensively.”
In the end, Bayern rejected the transfer due to concerns that Ronaldo could cause a split in the dressing room.
Müller said: “I've heard that Cristiano is a great teammate off the pitch, but on the pitch, I think his body language is questionable.”
On the Ronaldo vs. Messi debate
Müller said: "For me, the decisive point in the eternal Ronaldo or Messi discussion is this: at a certain point, Ronaldo went from being an amazing player to an amazing goalscorer. He almost specialized, which was probably good for his career.
"Messi, on the other hand, has always been able to do everything, in a sense. When you think of Messi, you first think of his magical ball control, his dribbling, his exquisite technique and elegance. People go to the stadium to watch these skills. And when he needs to score with his head, he doesn't back down—he can do that too. This complete skill set, in my opinion, is what makes him so extraordinary."
