Which League Is Tougher? MLS vs Saudi Pro League Compared

Club football is not limited to the general top five leagues anymore which we are accustomed to. With the new shift of stars heading over to grace the pitch of North America and Saudi, domestic football have seen a new introduction in the football landscape.

The debate between Saudi Pro League and Major League Soccer has grown louder because of the star power and the plans. While fans all over the world on social media have their opinions that differ from one person to the other, to truly understand which is the superior league, one has to consider all the aspects of the leagues.

From the impact on global football to the future planning along with the financial backing, there are a lot to look at to understand the difference between these two leagues. This is where we come in. In this blog, we will take a look at the key aspects that can help us understand the superior league in the battle of Saudi league vs MLS.

League Structure and Format of MLS and Saudi Pro League

In the MLS vs Saudi league, we have to first understand the league structure. First, let’s look at the Major League Soccer. Both of the Eastern and Western conferences in the league feature a regular season that introduces playoffs.

There, the top teams from both conferences go head-to-head with each other to determine the true champion of the league. Because of this format, nothing is certain till the last match, something that keeps the fans engaged throughout the season. And with the salary caps of MLS, the competitive balance among the teams are there.

Now, let’s check out the structure of the Saudi Pro League. The league has 16 teams and there is no conference structure. In a single round-robin format, every team plays 30 matches. Whoever is in the top position by the end of the season is the crowned champion and the bottom-of-the-table teams face relegation to lower division.

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MLS vs Saudi Pro League – Which is More Challenging?

The conditions of travel and climate along with the playing approach make both the leagues very different from each other. Take North America first: To head over to an away game a team has to go through long-distance travel due to the geographical area. It leads to jet lag and no matter how professional you are, it has an impact when you step into the pitch.

While this is not the case when you are playing in Saudi due to the geographical area being considerably smaller than the US, the intense heat catches up to the players during summer.

When it comes to the approach, the Major League Soccer clubs mainly focus on the fast-paced counter with the direct approach in the game. On the other hand, the majority of the teams in the Saudi Pro League prefer a balanced approach with intensive pressing and a technically proficient style of play.

Do MLS or Saudi Pro League Attract Bigger Names?

Now, let us take a look at the star power in this battle of Saudi Pro League vs MLS. Both of the competitions invested in attracting well-known players in football history. However, their approach and outcome are different.

Some of the notable names in Major League Soccer over the years are Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Carlos Vela, Lionel Messi, Lorenzo Insigne, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, and many more. The League’s primary focus is acquiring players who are nearing the end of their careers. However, the teams also don’t shy away from acquiring promising young talents from Europe as we have seen with Riqui Puig.

On the other hand, the Saudi Pro League has adopted an aggressive approach with the pursuit of bringing in big names in the competition. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Benzema, Fabinho, Firmino, Ivan Toney, Sadio Mane, Mahrez: These are some of many names that they have introduced to the league recently. With the current whereabouts of the competition, it seems like they are just getting started!

MLS vs. Saudi Pro League – Who Spends More on Players?

The spending on acquiring players are very different in both of the leagues. For starters, there is a salary cap in MLS, which is not present in the Saudi Pro League. This is something that allows the SPL to approach the players aggressively.

The difference between their spending in buying players is massive. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo is supposed to sign a multi-million renewal deal with Al Nassr after signing from Manchester United in a hefty transfer fee. The deal is supposed to be worth €200 million.

However, with MLS, there is a different approach. They sign most of the players when they are at the end of their careers. Due to this, the transfer fee is way less. For example, they acquired Lionel Messi with 0 transfer fee as he was in free agent. Moreover, the MLS salary cap ensures there is fair competition in the League.

How MLS and Saudi Pro League Rank Globally?

The soccer leagues in the world are ranked by considering a lot of different aspects. Moreover, they are ranked by various organizations that use their criteria. Generally, MLS ranks between 10th to 15th while the Saudi Pro League ranks between 25th to 30th.

Last year, OPTA ranked MLS in the top 10. Therefore, it varies depending on which organization is looking at which factors. That being said, both of these leagues have different approaches to the game. What might seem in papers is very different than what it seems on the football field.

It is ideal to take these rankings with a grain of salt as a lot of these organizations do not divulge the contributing factors they are looking at while ranking the leagues. Both of these leagues have nail-biting matches from time to time that are determined in the last minutes of the game. In both of the leagues, there are not much of a gap between teams in terms of silverware and achievements i.e. there are no teams in the league who are way ahead of the rest in terms of glory.

Which League Produces More Revenue?

TV broadcast viewership is another crucial factor to look at when it is about finding the superior league in the MLS vs Saudi league battle. If we look at the previous data, the MLS Cup 2023 Final had over 815000 viewers on FOX. In that same year, the match between Al Nassr and Al Hilal had an audience of 3.5 million.

That being said, the timing of the matches in SPL falls under the prime watching time in contrast to the late kick-offs in MLS fixtures. DAZN along with lucrative broadcast arrangements in Austria, Germany, the UK, and other countries earns massive revenue for the competition.

On the other hand, broadcasting rights worldwide along with the Apple TV+ deal make Major League Soccer one of the leagues in the world that produces a hefty revenue. While MLS have made sure of a sustainable financial model, the SPL is all about the state support along with the TV revenue.

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