The MLS has been growing at a good pace for a while now. Since David Beckham moved to the United States from Real Madrid to join LA Galaxy in 2007, several other stars have followed in his footsteps, bringing global attention to the league. It’s safe to say that the signing of David Beckham gave a new look to the MLS, but things have since improved.
Inter Miami revealed Lionel Messi last Sunday, bringing the long-awaited unveiling ceremony of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner to a close. This move has prompted many fans to bring up the Ronaldo-Messi debate again, with fans having divided opinions on which league is better between the MLS and the Saudi Pro League, where Ronaldo plays.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s remarks on MLS quality
Cristiano Ronaldo fueled the Ronaldo-Messi debate when he claimed that the MLS was inferior to the Saudi Pro League in terms of quality and competitiveness. This statement has sparked a huge outburst from fans of Lionel Messi, considering that Ronaldo’s team lost in a pre-season friendly 5-0 to Celta Vigo the day Fabrizio Romano posted Ronaldo’s comments.
🚨Cristiano Ronaldo: "Saudi league is better than MLS".
"I'm 100% sure I won't return to any European club. I opened the way to Saudi league… and now all the players are coming here". 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/nvgESZnjeK
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 17, 2023
In a now-viral post by Fabrizio Romano, Ronaldo said, “Saudi league is better than the MLS.” This caused quite a stir in world football as many quickly pointed out how much Ronaldo hated Messi and how Messi never responded to his eternal rival.
One fan said, “Still trying to compete with Lionel Messi. The consistent struggles trying to prove to the world that he’s better than Messi are becoming really boring. Messi doesn’t even reply.”
“I’m a Messi fan, but he (Ronaldo) didn’t lie. Saudi is clear of MLS and paved the way for other top players to join Saudi,” another fan tweeted.
From a neutral standpoint, it may be hard to determine which league is superior, but the MLS has been on the global map for quite some time, which is an edge over the Saudi Pro League.
Arsenal defeat MLS All-Stars
Arsenal set a new record for the biggest win by a guest in an MLS All-Star game when the North London club put five past the MLS All-Stars in a pre-season friendly. Jesus, Jorginho, Trossard, Martinelli, and Havertz were all on the scoresheet for Arsenal as the Gunners took apart Wayne Rooney-led MLS All-Stars.
Arsenal win 5-0 and set a new record for biggest win by a guest in an MLS All-Star Game 😳 pic.twitter.com/ey4x8hr5ld
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 20, 2023
It didn’t take long before Jesus found the net as he scored the game’s first goal in the fifth minute. New signings Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice, and Kai Havertz also made their competitive debuts for the Gunners, with the latter scoring the game’s last goal in the 89th minute.
Do you see the MLS in the near future as one of the biggest leagues in football? Let’s talk in the comments!
