Of all the top leagues around the world, I have always been partial to the English Premier League. I am not sure quite sure how it started, but once I go into it, it was love at first sight and I’ve never looked back. It could be because the Premier League is the easiest accessible league for me to watch here in the United States, but when I first got into club football it was the Champions League that caught my eye, so that can’t entirely be the reason. Although Premier League teams usually go pretty far in the Champions League, hardly any of them have won, so the love didn’t come from there.

La Liga, Serie A, and Bundesliga have tremendous amounts of talent, and the Premier League’s best did not perform well at the World Cup compared to the other leagues. An England squad comprised entirely of Premier League players underachieved. After this summer’s World Cup, I promised to pay more attention to other leagues, as the tournament’s best players came from outside the Premier League. Post-World Cup, I watched every replay of Bundesliga and La Liga on GOL TV that I could. I was excited. The play was great, I was more familiar with the players because of the World Cup, and I was sure that I would be just as big of a fan of other leagues this year as the Premier League.

Then, the preseason tours from the Premier League started, and I had never been so excited. Yes, preseason games..without most of the star players..against MLS sides. How could this be? How could a game with no meaning, without the stars of the world, excite me so much? I’m not entirely sure, but the Premier League has a hold on me. I was familiar with all the players, knowing they weren’t international stars, and that was a positive for me. The World Cup didn’t spoil me, in fact, I think the World Cup made me appreciate the Premier League more. There was no diving, no defensive play. These preseason games reminded me of everything I love about the Premier League. Somehow just seeing a Giggs, a Scholes, a Gareth Bale, even a Berbatov, got me super excited for the season. I love seeing the new kits, the new boots, the new ball, and all the young players.

I can’t explain it %100, but for me, the play mixed with the atmosphere and personalities of the players, coaches, and clubs as a whole is unmatched in the world of football. I also think the thrill of the Premier League lies in the importance of every game. On any given day, any club could grab the points. Every game means something, even more so than in other leagues. The constant battles to avoid relegation, to qualify for Europe, or to win the league make the stakes high for everyone. This article isn’t my argument for the best league in the world, but as far as my enjoyment in watching matches, the Premier League takes the cake.

While I will be watching more of other leagues this year, I am now more confident than ever that no league will be stealing my heart now or anytime in the future. Why do you like the Premier League the most? Which leagues besides the Premier League have you fallen in love with?