Axel Müller Re-Signed for 2025

By Alistair Kirsch-Poole
Dec 16, 2024 - 3:00pm

Old Glory has re-signed winger Axel Müller. The 31-year-old was born in Argentina but lived for nine years in Phoenix while he was growing up. He played for the Argentinian U20s before moving on to represent Argentina on the 7s circuit, including at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

After the olympics, he chose to switch back to fifteens rugby. He moved to the Top 14 in France, spending one year each at Toulon and Oyonnax before settling in at CA Brive, where he spent the next six seasons. In total he accumulated 103 caps in the Top 14 before joining OGDC last season. He has continued to play in France during the off-seasons, for CA Pérgueux Dordogne in the third-tier Nationale 1.

After being unavailable for the first couple of MLR matches in 2024, Müller came in with an impact in week three and scored a brace of tries in his first match for Old Glory. He would rack up 5 tries in his 11 matches, all of which he started, to be one of the most prolific scorers on the team. He was also impressive as a runner for his ability to break tackles and beat defenders.

Much like Perry Huphreys, if there's a disappointment about Axel Müller's play in last season it's that there wasn't enough of it. Like Humphreys, he missed about a third of the season due to intermittent injuries. Hopefully, we'll have a healthier Müller in 2025.

Of course, while as seasoned pro from one of the best leagues in the world and a standout performer last season he should be expected to be a starter in 2025, he also isn't guaranteed to hold on to that spot. John Rizzo, an ever-improving domestic option, will be back to challenge for a starting spot, and new signings like Jason Emery and Declan O'Loughlin could also see some time on the wings. As an international player, Müller will need to keep up his level to be worthy of one of the limited foreign player slots.

His status as an international player is a source of ongoing controversy. Müller is an American citizen and holds a US passport, having lived for a significant amount of time in Arizona as a child. However, because he was capped by Argentina, he has to rely on the new union transfer rules in order to play for the USA. While there is a strong case to be made, given that he long ago fulfilled the stand-down requirement and has a clear strong connection to the USA, but he doesn't match the exact guidelines that World Rugby has laid out and therefore requires a clarification of the rules as they apply to his case. For now, he counts as an international player in MLR. For those curious, Americas Rugby News has a comprehensive article on the case for Müller's USA eligibility.