Cristiano Ronaldo made a bold claim last year, asserting that Saudi Arabia’s Pro League is superior to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.

Ronaldo’s argument has merit, especially with top European football stars like Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino, and N’Golo Kanté joining the Saudi league, raising its profile significantly, according to many.

However, there is an opposing viewpoint that, despite the influx of big names, the Pro League still lags behind MLS. Supporters of this view argue that MLS has consistently featured high-quality players, and with Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami, the league’s branding and commercial appeal have strengthened even further. Additionally, the MLS is seen as more competitive due to a higher proportion of young, dynamic players.

Both sides present valid points, but determining whether MLS or the Pro League is truly stronger would require detailed analysis and research.

When analyzing the on-field performance and conducting a detailed comparison, football statistics firm Opta revealed last year that Messi’s MLS was ahead of Ronaldo’s Pro League. According to Opta’s power ratings, MLS ranked 29th among the world’s strongest leagues, while the Saudi Pro League was 36th.

This year’s analysis shows an even wider gap. With a power rating of 78.2, Messi’s MLS now ranks 9th globally, whereas Ronaldo’s Pro League, with a rating of 73.6, is in 33rd place. In just one year, MLS has jumped 20 spots, while the Pro League has moved up only 3 spots, creating a 24-position difference between the two leagues.

The reason for MLS's advantage over the Pro League lies in club strength. The two most competitive leagues in North America are the U.S.’s MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX. According to Opta’s research, MLS clubs performed better than Liga MX clubs in last year’s Leagues Cup. Notably, Messi’s Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup, while fellow MLS clubs Nashville and Philadelphia Union finished as runner-up and third place, respectively.

However, in terms of individual club rankings, Ronaldo is ahead of Messi. Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr is ranked 92nd, while Messi’s Inter Miami is 98th.

Opta evaluates over 13,000 clubs from 413 domestic leagues across 183 countries for its power ratings. This allows for comparisons across continents, countries, and leagues, such as the difference in strength between a Fijian league club and Manchester City, the English Premier League champions. As expected, the English Premier League tops the power ratings again this year. The rest of Europe’s top five leagues—Italian Serie A, German Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga, and French Ligue 1—follow, with Serie A and Bundesliga sharing an 86.2 rating. Brazil’s Serie A ranks 6th, and the biggest surprise is the inclusion of the English Championship in the top 10. Opta credits this to the increased competitiveness and unpredictability of the league, with many Championship clubs surpassing the power ratings of those in the Dutch Eredivisie.