The rivals’ surprising transfers have sparked a debate over which league is stronger but can learn from each other to change football.
We have a GOAT on each side, and when that happens, you know what’s next: endless debate. On social networks, the war has already begun: Lionel Messi and MLS against Cristiano Ronaldo and the Saudi League. Which league wins? Who would win head-to-head? Where will each league be in 10, 20, 50 years?
It is indeed natural. Debate is what makes sports so fun. After all, “fan” is short for “fanatic”, and fanatics are ready to support your side until the end. The reality on the ground is indeed quite different.
MLS and Saudi Arabia are two rising powers, both taking moves that, at least in some ways, are attracting the attention of European powers. Both have had big hits this summer and both are building big projects that have caught the public’s attention. More than ever, the world is turning to these two championships, apart from the major European championships.
But while fans like the idea of a rivalry between the two teams, the truth is that neither team is actually in competition. MLS and Saudi Arabia may have signed their own version of the best player in the world, but the way they do business beyond Messi and Ronaldo shows just how differently the two leagues approach their own growth.
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