Usyk plays in football match vs. Müller's Whitecaps

World heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk faced off with a fellow world champion on Tuesday, though his latest matchup took place a long way from a boxing ring.

Usyk made a high-profile appearance as a substitute for Ukrainian side FC Polissya Zhytomyr against a Vancouver Whitecaps team featuring World Cup winner Thomas Müller.

Usyk entered the friendly in Marbella, Spain, with 15 minutes remaining, replacing Mykola Hayduchik.

Usyk gained the bragging rights against Germany great Müller with the top-tier Ukrainian side triumphing 2-0 against their MLS opponents. But, although the two legendary figures posed for a photo in the tunnel before the game, fans were prevented from seeing a direct confrontation the between pair as Müller had exited the game before Usyk's introduction.

It is not the first time that Usyk has swapped the boxing ring for a football pitch. Usyk, who trained as a footballer as a teenager before committing himself to boxing, also appeared for Polissya in a friendly match in 2022 and previously signed an "agreement on football cooperation" with the club.

The 39-year-old Usyk currently holds three versions (WBC, WBA and IBF) of the world heavyweight title. His last fight came in July last year when he knocked out British heavyweight Daniel Dubois in the fifth round.