Something in the Major League Soccer world has fans, analysts and league personnel all aflutter. And it’s not the race for the 2025 MLS Cup.

Okay, that is only half-true. The competition for the MLS Cup is generating plenty of buzz. Parsing the favorites at the top has gotten more difficult, given the performances of the Vancouver Whitecaps, Philadelphia Union, Nashville SC, San Diego FC and others. The top sites for betting on MLS are shifting their MLS Cup odds accordingly. Generally speaking, the Union remains atop the pecking order. But a lot of movement is taking place closer to the top of the hierarchy—way more so than usual this time of year.

And yet, that is just one thing grabbing the attention of everyone in MLS’ ascending sphere. The other thing? That would be Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller agreeing to join the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Make no mistake, South Korea international soccer icon Son Heung-min is also generating buzz for his decision to join Los Angeles FC. But MLS is no stranger to seeing global stars flock to flagship markets in the United States. David Villa went to New York City FC. Thierry Henry joined the New York Red Bulls. David Beckham went to the LA Galaxy. Lionel Messi signed with Inter Miami CF. The list goes on.

Someone of Müller’s caliber joining a non-glamour market like Vancouver is borderline unprecedented. Sure, Kaka went to Orlando City SC and Didier Drogba linked up with CF Montreal. Neither of them, however, were on Müller’s level—not even close. In fact, SI.com just ranked Müller as the third biggest star to ever join an MLS team.

This has naturally raised the question: Could Müller joining up with Vancouver start a trend in which international stars are more open to venturing outside the Miami, Los Angeles and New York markets? Or is this just a blip on the radar?

Cristiano Ronaldo’s dDalliance with Sporting Kansas City may have started a trend

Back in 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo took multiple meetings with Sporting Kansas City when contemplating his next steps. He ultimately chose to join Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, where he still plays.

However, the groundwork for sales pitches from teams in similarly smaller markets was laid.

As ESPN’s Cesar Hernandez writes:

“In the search for a new job, it doesn’t hurt to have an impressive office space and environment. Although he isn’t exactly at the same level of goal-scoring prowess as Ronaldo, Alan Pulido — Sporting KC’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and MLS’ Comeback Player of the Year in 2023 — was immediately won over by what the club had to offer. ‘He liked how competitive we were. He liked it, he saw the atmosphere and … the facilities, blown away,’ [former Sporting Kansas City general manager Peter]Vermes said about the former Mexico international. ‘[The training center] was brand-new, just opened in ’18 … he was excited about that.’

“Kansas City isn’t alone when it comes to that modern infrastructure. San Diego’s [Sporting Director and general manager Tyler] Heaps, who has previous experience as an analyst for the U.S. Soccer Federation, has praised many of the facilities he has visited across the country. ‘I was fortunate with the national team to be able to see most of the ones in MLS. What I can say, having worked in Europe, is that these ones are state of the art and I think that is a huge attraction to these players. They come here and work every single day,’ Heaps said. ‘If you can have everything that they need to not only play well now, but also to prolong their career, that’s a really helpful thing for these guys, especially DPs, obviously, that are making significant amounts of income.’”

This makes sense. Increasing longevity drives long-term earning potential. And having access to state-of-the-art training facilities and personnel goes a long way. Especially nowadays, when the amount of information we have on bodies and how they hold up is at an all-time high.

A quieter life can actually appeal to international MLS stars

Another benefit of playing in a smaller market is the lack of attention. International stars have lived their entire careers in the heart of the public eye.

For the most part, transitioning to the United States, where soccer still isn’t quite religion, acts as a form of respite. Yet, winding up in a market like Vancouver or Kansas City can provide even more cover. International superstars are free to go about their business while being mostly left alone.

That has always appealed to people who exist in the public spectre. It is even more valuable in the digital age. Everyone is overexposed to everyone else. That overexposure is more pronounced for celebrities. They aren’t just professional athletes. They are brands—icons.

This is not to say you should lament their situations. They are being handsomely paid for what they do. But most of these stars are coming stateside in their mid-to-late 30s. They have spent 10 to 15 or more years as the center of attention, for both better and worse. Flying under the radar might appeal to them.

Parity goes a long way toward recruitment.

Since 2013, the MLS Cup has not gone to a repeat winner. Twelve seasons, 12 different champions. There have only been three back-to-back winners since MLS’ inception in 1996.

That type of parity lends itself to geographic indifference. You don’t need to play for a big-market club to win a championship. Make no mistake, this is what guys like Müller are trying to do. They care about winning, and about existing within certain playstyles. The money at this point in their career is a secondary, albeit still huge, consideration.

To that end, the Whitecaps can send a message to other international stars this season. That same message can also be delivered to other smaller markets in MLS. Vancouver is considered almost universal top-three favorites to win it all. If they swing an MLS Cup victory, it is a reminder that market location is far from everything on the pitch, particularly when it comes to available resources.

Certain stars will always want to land in Los Angeles, Miami or New York anyway. Sales pitch by sales pitch, though, we are starting to see international soccer stars are willing to consider alternative factors more so than pro athletes across other sports. Whether Müller starts a trend by joining Vancouver remains to be seen. But it’s at least on the table.