MLS overshadows SPL despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s stance

Cristiano Ronaldo triggered plenty of debate in 2023 when he claimed that the Saudi Pro League (SPL) was ‘much better’ than Major League Soccer (MLS) in North America.

The Portuguese superstar made the controversial comments after long-time rival Lionel Messi rejected overtures from SPL clubs to sign for Inter Miami.

While arguments about which is the superior league have continued apace since then, it is difficult to jump on board with Ronaldo’s viewpoint.

For fans inclined towards sports betting, there is only one winner. MLS is a far more competitive league than its top-heavy Saudi competitive.

On that basis, punters who have money to play with after trying the Sugar Rush 1000 demo are more likely to bet on MLS fixtures.

With the top clubs bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), many SPL games are extremely lopsided from a betting perspective.

This can be evidenced by the points disparity at the end of last season between the top and bottom teams in each of the respective leagues.

There was a 62-point gap between the league winners and the bottom side in the SPL. By contrast, 44 points separated top from bottom in MLS’ Eastern Conference.

A 43-point margin separated top from bottom in the Western Conference, further cementing the notion that MLS is more competitive than the SPL.

Several other factors are worth considering when debating whether MLS or the SPL is the better league, starting with sustainability.

MLS has achieved sustainable growth by establishing a stronger infrastructure. It has a history of development, successful youth academies and a framework for developing players.

By contrast, the SPL has thrown a ton of cash at signing players from top European leagues. As things stand, long-term thinking does not appear to be in the equation.

Ronaldo’s claims that ‘high-profile’ players would follow him to the SPL have also failed to stack up. Most of their ‘big-name’ signings have been veterans and mid-level players seeking a payday.

A quick look at market valuations for SPL players paints an intriguing picture. Mateo Retegui’s €45 million is the highest on the list and he is far from being ‘high profile’.

Theo Hernandez, Moussa Diaby and Ivan Toney are among the other players with a high valuation and none of them could be categorised as superstars.

Intriguingly, MLS sent more players to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar than any league outside the big five leagues in European football. In simple terms, MLS has a much deeper talent pool than the SPL.

Fan engagement also factors into the equation along with broadcast and sponsorship deals. Around one million views are recorded for MLS games on Apple TV every weekend.

That figure dwarfs the 5,000 people who tuned in to watch an SPL game between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad earlier this year. For all the investment, fans seemingly do not care about Saudi football.

MLS also blows the SPL out of the water in the sponsorship stakes having built up a portfolio of major brands that rival many of the top European leagues.

The league recorded a 13 percent increase in league-level sponsorship revenue in 2024, and a sizeable portion of the income came from brands who have been involved for several years.

While the SPL has garnered some impressive sponsors over the past couple of years, it remains heavily reliant on the PIF to prop up its operations.

Whichever way you look at the landscape, MLS is superior to the SPL. Unless the latter addresses its sustainability and infrastructure issues, that will remain the case for the foreseeable future.

MLS overshadows SPL despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s stance