The Saudi Arabian league is far behind MLS.

Major League Soccer (MLS) is ranked 12th in Opta's list of the world's top leagues, far ahead of the Saudi Pro League, which is only in 29th place.

MLS ranks 12th in the world , far ahead of the Saudi Pro League at 29th, reflecting its remarkable growth thanks to Messi and a robust system, while the Saudi Pro League struggles due to imbalances.

According to the rankings published by Opta , MLS has risen to the top thanks to strong development in on-field performance, infrastructure, audience numbers, and player quality, especially after the "Lionel Messi effect".

Opta reports that since Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023, MLS has attracted tens of millions more spectators to stadiums, while also significantly improving its performance. This summer, Son Heung-min, Thomas Muller, and De Paul are among the big names joining MLS.

In the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, MLS also had a representative advance beyond the group stage, with Inter Miami reaching the round of 16. With a power rating of 92.3 points, MLS is rated significantly higher by Opta than the Saudi Pro League (87.1 points).

Despite significant investment and Al Hilal reaching the quarter-finals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the Saudi Pro League has been criticized for concentrating its strength in the top four teams: Al Ittihad, Al Hilal, Al Ahli, and Al Nassr. The fact that the Saudi Pro League suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in financial losses in the 2024/25 season (according to Bloomberg ) has also diminished the league's prestige.

Meanwhile, MLS shows greater sustainability in spending. On the ranking of the world's strongest leagues, the Premier League still leads, followed by Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Championship (English First Division), Belgian Pro League, Portuguese Primeira Liga, Brazilian Pro League, Dutch Eredivision, Argentinian Pro League, and MLS.

Source: https://znews.vn/giai-saudi-arabia-bi-mls-bo-xa-post1579202.html