<p>One of the soccer fans’ favorite things to debate is how strong one league is compared to another. A club winning La Liga, such as Real Madrid this season, is not the same task as one of the three clubs battling it out in the Premier League. Given the differences in the quality of the opposition and the fact that these are domestic leagues, it is nearly impossible to directly compare leagues.</p>



<p>One way to compare the two is to use Opta’s power rankings. Opta, a British sports analytics firm, assigns an ability score to each team worldwide. On this scale, the top team in the world, Manchester City, has an ability score of 100. By contrast, the worst team in the world has an ability score of zero. Clubs earn points on their <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2023/01/power-rankings-your-club-ranked/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elo rating</a> by beating teams ranking higher than them. Consequently, losing to teams with a lower rating deducts more points from a side’s ability score.</p>



<p>It is a vastly technical process that the number wizards at Opta have been practicing for some time. While there will never be a perfect way to analyze clubs and leagues across competitions, this is perhaps the best holistic approach.</p>



<h2>The top 30 men’s soccer leagues in the world</h2>



<p>The following ratings are the average club rating for every team in a domestic league as of April 3, 2024. These numbers constantly change with the world’s leagues in action. With continental competition, for example, these numbers change often.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>RANK</td><td>LEAGUE</td><td>AVERAGE CLUB RATING</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Premier League</td><td>87.59</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>La Liga</td><td>84.8</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Serie A</td><td>84.7</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Bundesliga</td><td>84.3</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Ligue 1</td><td>83.6</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Primeira Liga</td><td>77.47</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>English Championship</td><td>76.38</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Superligaen</td><td>76.12</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>La Liga 2 (Segunda)</td><td>75.48</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Brasileirao</td><td>75.31</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Liga MX</td><td>75.16</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Russian Premier League</td><td>75.15</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>Major League Soccer</td><td>75.1</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Swiss Super League</td><td>74.81</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Eredivisie</td><td>74.79</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Turkish Super Lig</td><td>74.54</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Argentine Primera</td><td>74.53</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>2. Bundesliga</td><td>74.39</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>Austrian Bundesliga</td><td>74.21</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>HNL Croatia</td><td>74.03</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>K League</td><td>73.49</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>J League</td><td>73.39</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Eliteserien</td><td>72.99</td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>Allsvenskan</td><td>72.18</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>Cyprus First Division</td><td>72.08</td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>Saudi Pro League</td><td>72.01</td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>Czech First League</td><td>71.81</td></tr><tr><td>28</td><td>Greek Super League</td><td>70.76</td></tr><tr><td>29</td><td>Scottish Premiership</td><td>70.25</td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>Ekstraklasa</td><td>69.41</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<p>If you need any indication of how fast these rankings can change, look no further than two weeks prior. Again, these rankings apply specifically to April 3, 2024. On March 26, 2024, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/mls-breaks-into-top-10-strongest-leagues-in-the-world/">Major League Soccer cracked the top 10</a>. Now, it is no longer the highest-rated league in North America. Instead, that honor belongs to Liga MX. </p>



<p>Since those rankings from just a few weeks ago, Liga MX sides have had strong results against Major League Soccer in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240403_WST_499198_Club-America-New-England-1200x670_a78229fe.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=670" alt="" class="wp-image-499228" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/Club-America-New-England-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/Club-America-New-England-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/Club-America-New-England-768x429.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/Club-America-New-England.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<h2>Averages ranked among the top soccer leagues in the world</h2>



<p>Looking at the above chart, certain teams from those leagues prop up each of those leagues. The Eredivisie is one example. PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord rank in the top 40 clubs in the world. However, those two clubs are dragged down by Vitesse, Excelsior and Volendam. None of those clubs creep into the top 900 clubs in the world. Consequently, the league’s average ranks it as No. 15 in the world. </p>



<p>On the other hand, having a compact league can help the rankings. Major League Soccer shows that, as the highest-ranking team is the Columbus Crew, at No. 145. Twenty-five of MLS’s 29 teams are inside the top 500 clubs in the world That greatly helps the league’s positioning on average.</p>



<p>That said, here are the top clubs from each of those divisions to get a grasp on where they fall. The league rank on the left side is where the average falls. As a result, the best club’s rating will not follow numerical order.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>League Rank</td><td>League</td><td>Best rated club</td><td>Best club’s rating</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Premier League</td><td>Manchester City</td><td>100</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>La Liga</td><td>Real Madrid</td><td>97.5</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Serie A</td><td>Inter Milan</td><td>97.3</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Bundesliga</td><td>Bayer Leverkusen</td><td>94</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Ligue 1</td><td>PSG</td><td>95.2</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Primeira Liga</td><td>Sporting CP</td><td>89.7</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Championship</td><td>Leeds</td><td>83.6</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Superligaen</td><td>Kobenhavn</td><td>82.6</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Segunda Division</td><td>Eibar</td><td>78.5</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Brasileirao</td><td>Palmeiras</td><td>80.6</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Liga MX</td><td>Club America</td><td>83.1</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Russian Premier League</td><td>Zenit</td><td>82.8</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>MLS</td><td>Columbus Crew</td><td>79.6</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Swiss Super League</td><td>Young Boys</td><td>80.8</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Eredivisie</td><td>PSV Eindhoven</td><td>88.6</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Turkish Super Lig</td><td>Fenerbahce</td><td>86</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Argentine Primera</td><td>River Plate</td><td>80.8</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>2. Bundesliga</td><td>St. Pauli</td><td>80.4</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>Austrian Bundesliga</td><td>RB Salzburg</td><td>86.3</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>HNL (Croatia)</td><td>Dinamo Zagreb</td><td>82</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>K League</td><td>Ulsan</td><td>78</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>J League</td><td>Vissel Kobe</td><td>78.4</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Eliteserien</td><td>Bodo/Glimt</td><td>82.6</td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>Allsvenskan</td><td>Malmo FF</td><td>77.8</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>Cyprus First division</td><td>APOEL</td><td>79.7</td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>Saudi Pro League</td><td>Al Hilal</td><td>86.4</td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>Czech</td><td>Slavia Praha</td><td>83.7</td></tr><tr><td>28</td><td>Greek Super League</td><td>PAOK</td><td>81.3</td></tr><tr><td>29</td><td>Scottish Premiership</td><td>Rangers</td><td>83.1</td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>Ekstraklasa</td><td>Rakow Czestochowa</td><td>79.1</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2>Looking at the ‘best of the worst’ clubs in each league</h2>



<p>It would also be fair to see the bottom half of these extremes to even out.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Rank</td><td>League</td><td>Worst rated club</td><td>Worst club’s rating</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Premier League</td><td>Sheffield United</td><td>79.3</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>La Liga</td><td>Almeria</td><td>76.5</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Serie A</td><td>Salernitana</td><td>76.5</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Bundesliga</td><td>Darmstadt 98</td><td>76.6</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Ligue 1</td><td>Metz</td><td>76.8</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Primeira Liga</td><td>Portimonense</td><td>70.9</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Championship</td><td>Rotherham United</td><td>69.6</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Superligaen</td><td>Hvidovre</td><td>69.5</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Segunda Division</td><td>Villarreal II</td><td>71.3</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Brasileirao</td><td>Criciuma</td><td>72.7</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Liga MX</td><td>Juarez</td><td>69.6</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Russian Premier League</td><td>Sochi</td><td>71.2</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>MLS</td><td>Toronto FC</td><td>69.6</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Swiss Super League</td><td>Stade-Lausanne-Ouchy</td><td>69.6</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Eredivisie</td><td>Volendam</td><td>66.5</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Turkish Super Lig</td><td>Istanbulspor</td><td>66.7</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Argentine Primera</td><td>Tigre</td><td>70.1</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>2. Bundesliga</td><td>Hansa Rostock</td><td>70.2</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>Austrian Bundesliga</td><td>Austria Lustenau</td><td>67.1</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>HNL (Croatia)</td><td>Rudes</td><td>65.5</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>K League</td><td>Suwon</td><td>68.6</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>J League</td><td>Sagan Tosu</td><td>69.8</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Eliteserien</td><td>Sandefjord</td><td>68.7</td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>Allsvenskan</td><td>Halmstad</td><td>68.5</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>Cyprus First division</td><td>AE Zakakiou</td><td>63.6</td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>Saudi Pro League</td><td>Al Hazm</td><td>65.7</td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>Czech</td><td>Ceske Budejovice</td><td>65.4</td></tr><tr><td>28</td><td>Greek Super League</td><td>Kifisia</td><td>63.5</td></tr><tr><td>29</td><td>Scottish Premiership</td><td>Livingston</td><td>62.6</td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>Ekstraklasa</td><td>Lks Lodz</td><td>67.4</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Opta Sports Analytics - Behind The Scenes And Interviews With The Sports Data Mavens" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ySlAzS8Oouw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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Top soccer leagues in the world as ranked by Opta

The top soccer leagues in the world are nearly impossible to be ranked accurately. One metric provides insight as to where they stand.

Top soccer leagues in the world as ranked by Opta - World Soccer Talk

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<p>Debating the best soccer leagues in the world can be a fun exercise. But beyond personal opinions, it’s possible to quantify the argument with some data to back it up. Thanks to the sports analytics gurus at Opta, we can do just that.</p>



<p><a href="https://theanalyst.com/na" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Opta’s Power Rankings</a> assign an “ability score” of 0-100 to each club, based on a wide variety of factors and stats. On this scale, 0 is the worst team in the world and 100 is the best. Currently, the top-ranked club is Manchester City.</p>



<p>So, if you average the scores of all the teams in a league, you can compare them to see how each competition stacks up. And these are the numbers and rankings you see below, as of September 2023. </p>



<h2>30 best soccer leagues in the world</h2>



<ol><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/">English Premier League</a>&nbsp;87.66</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/bundesliga-tv-schedule/">German Bundesliga</a>&nbsp;84.04</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule/">Italian Serie A</a>&nbsp;83.46</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/la-liga-tv-schedule/">Spanish La Liga</a>&nbsp;83.43</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/ligue-un-tv-schedule/">French Ligue 1</a>&nbsp;81.41</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/championship-tv-schedule/">English Championship</a>&nbsp;78.58</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/eredivisie-tv-schedule/">Dutch Eredivisie</a>&nbsp;77.24</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/primeira-liga-tv-schedule/">Portuguese Primeira Liga</a>&nbsp;77.20</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/belgian-pro-league-tv-schedule/">Belgian Pro League</a>&nbsp;77.19</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/brasileirao-tv-schedule-and-streaming-links/">Brazilian Serie A</a>&nbsp;76.43</li><li>Swiss Super League&nbsp;75.72</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/turkish-super-lig-tv-schedule/">Turkish Super Lig</a>&nbsp;75.65</li><li>Russian Premier Liga&nbsp;75.08</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/danish-superliga-tv-schedule/">Danish Superliga</a>&nbsp;75.00</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/mls-tv-schedule/">MLS</a>&nbsp;74.77</li><li>Austrian Bundesliga&nbsp;74.76</li><li>Spanish La Liga&nbsp;2 74.42</li><li>Polish Ekstraklasa&nbsp;73.88</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/superliga-argentina-tv-schedule/">Argentine Liga Professional&nbsp;</a>73.66</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2-bundesliga-tv-schedule-and-streaming-links/">German 2. Bundesliga</a>&nbsp;73.62</li><li>Croatian HNL&nbsp;73.45</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/liga-mx-tv-schedule/">Mexican Liga MX</a>&nbsp;73.20</li><li>Cypriot First Division&nbsp;72.47</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/swedish-allsvenskan-tv-schedule/">Swedish Allsvenskan</a>&nbsp;72.30</li><li>Japanese J1 League&nbsp;72.16</li><li>South Korean K League 1&nbsp;72.09</li><li><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/saudi-pro-league-tv-schedule/">Saudi Pro League</a>&nbsp;71.94</li><li>Israeli Premier League&nbsp;71.56</li><li>Romanian Liga I&nbsp;71.40</li><li>Norwegian Eliteserien&nbsp;71.33</li></ol>



<p>It’s really no surprise at the top of the rankings, with Europe’s “Top 5” leagues in the top five spots. The Premier League sits at the pinnacle – they’ve got seven clubs in the top twenty in the overall team rankings. </p>



<p>Germany’s Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, and Ligue 1 round out the top five. The strength of the English game is on display with the second-tier EFL Championship coming in sixth. That’s ahead of the Eredivisie, Primeira Liga, Belgian Pro League, and many other European <em>first</em> divisions.</p>



<p>The Brasileirão is the highest-ranked competition on the western side of the Atlantic, coming in tenth. Brazilian clubs have won four of the last five Copa Libertadores, and make up three of the four semifinalists in the ongoing 2023 edition. </p>



<h3>MLS on the move</h3>



<p>Meanwhile, Major League Soccer has seen a jump, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/mls-ranked-29th-strongest-league-in-the-world-per-opta-20230815-WST-450215.html">ranked 29th in August</a> but now up to 15th. That puts the American domestic top tier just ahead of the Austrian Bundesliga and Spanish second division. The influx of talent over the summer and the strong performance of MLS sides vs. Liga MX in Leagues Cup no doubt helped the league move up the rankings.</p>



<p>In the Middle East, the suddenly-star-packed Saudi Pro League ranks 27th, just behind the J League and K League from the far eastern reaches of the Asian confederation.</p>



<p>What do you think? Are these data-backed rankings on point, or is there more to it that stats? </p>



<p><em>Photos: Imago</em></p>


Best soccer leagues in the world according to Opta

What are the best soccer leagues in the world? Thanks to rankings created with data from analytics gurus Opta, we can get a clear idea.

Best soccer leagues in the world according to Opta - World Soccer Talk

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<p>Earlier this year, sports intelligence agency Twenty-First Group ranked MLS as the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/study-mls-ranked-29th-most-competitive-soccer-league-in-world-20230125-WST-416694.html">29th most competitive soccer league</a> in the world. Since then, a lot has changed in Major League Soccer and other leagues around the world including the Saudi Pro League. However, one thing that hasn’t changed is that MLS is still ranked number 29 in the world. This time, it’s according to brand-new research led by Opta, the industry leader in soccer data worldwide.</p>



<p>US-owned sports analytics company Opta has released new rankings for the strongest leagues in the world. For reference, the Premier League topped the list, and the Brazilian Serie A was the only non-European league in the top 10. It sat tenth on that list.</p>



<p>However, for American audiences, much of the focus has been on the battle between <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/mls-tv-schedule/">Major League Soccer</a> and the Saudi Pro League. While MLS signed Lionel Messi, Saudi Arabia brought in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/list-of-footballers-signed-by-saudi-arabia-this-summer-20230728-WST-446173.html">key stars from across Europe</a>. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/karim-benzema-bids-farewell-to-real-madrid-after-14-years-20230604-WST-436009.html">Karim Benzema</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ngolo-kante-joins-al-ittihad-in-deal-worth-over-100-million-20230621-WST-438816.html">N’golo Kante</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/another-treble-winner-leaves-city-his-successor-lies-at-barcelona-20230720-WST-444363.html">Riyad Mahrez</a> and most recently <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/mls-and-barcelona-to-miss-out-on-neymar-as-psg-accept-bid-20230813-WST-449899.html">Neymar</a> are players to make the jump over to the Middle East. Also, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/cristiano-ronaldo-joins-al-nassr-in-211-million-per-year-deal-20221231-WST-413970.html">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> was already over there after joining Al-Nassr at the beginning of the year.</p>



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<p>However, despite those changes to both leagues and the other competitions across the world, MLS sitting at 29th is not necessarily new. While Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets certainly make Inter Miami stronger, their impact on the league is minimal. Popularity may be growing, but these rankings are based on a combination of form, personnel and recent success.</p>



<p>The league rankings are based on the averages of the teams in the league. This may hurt MLS due to its sheer size. There are, ironically, 29 teams in the American top flight. Even though the Philadelphia Union, LAFC, New England, Cincinnati and Nashville are all in the top 250 clubs, other clubs weigh the league down. For example, Toronto FC ranks No. 1135. That is right behind Douanes from the Senegal Premier League and just ahead of Atlético Baleares from the Spanish third tier.</p>



<h2>Opta compares MLS and Saudi Pro League in strongest league rankings</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="&apos;I don&apos;t know!&apos; Is Ronaldo correct to say the Saudi League is better than the MLS? | ESPN FC" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LBibo_x4WjA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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<p>The Messi debate against Ronaldo now extends into leagues. While MLS may take some international flak with a reputation as a retirement league, it does rank slightly higher than the Saudi Pro League. MLS’s place of 29th is seven spots higher than the Saudi Pro League, which is at No. 36. This comes down to balance across MLS, while the Saudi Pro League is more spread out in its current power rankings.</p>



<p>The highest-ranked team in MLS is the Philadelphia Union at No. 155. By comparison, there are three Saudi Pro League clubs before the next MLS team. Al Ittihad ranks first for the Saudis, followed by Al Hilal and Al Nassr in third. Each of these clubs made major moves this summer to bring in more highlight names. </p>



<p>However, despite the top-heavy Saudi Pro League, the bottom of the league severely brings it down. Thirteen of the bottom 14 teams in the power rankings between the two leagues come from the Saudi Pro League. Only Toronto FC ranks in that bottom pack in terms of clubs from MLS. </p>



<h2>Top 25 strongest leagues in the world</h2>



<ol><li>Premier League</li><li>Bundesliga</li><li>LaLiga</li><li>Serie A</li><li>Ligue 1</li><li>Belgian Pro League</li><li>Swiss Super League</li><li>Primeira Liga</li><li>Eredivisie</li><li>Brazilian Serie A</li></ol>



<p><em>Source:</em> <a href="https://theanalyst.com/eu/2023/08/the-strongest-leagues-in-world-football-opta-power-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Opta Rankings</a>.</p>



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<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Opta Sports Analytics - Behind The Scenes And Interviews With The Sports Data Mavens" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ySlAzS8Oouw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / ABACAPRESS</em></p>


MLS ranked 29th strongest league in the world, per Opta

US-owned sports analytic company Opta released new rankings for the strongest league in the world, and it put MLS as 29th.

<p></p><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>One thing I’ve always lamented since starting to follow soccer seriously  is the lack of statistics that are readily available to the average fan. Other sports (I think of American baseball and football for examples) tend to have large volumes of statistics available to fuel fan debates about who really is the most dominant team, player, etc. I find that pouring over statistics gives me a better understanding of the games and players but it has to be done within the context of looking at the overall game. It’s far too easy to get sidetracked by columns of numbers but it’s also great to have those numbers on hand.<p></p>
<p>With that in mind, I was delighted to find the <a href="http:\/\/www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12193_2705370,00.html">Opta stats feature</a> on the Sky Sports website. The current stats say that Cristiano Ronaldo is the Premier League’s most frequent shooter and dribbler, while Cesc Fabregas leads the passer category and Javier Mascherano is the leading tackler. Here are a few of the stats that caught my eye.</p>
<p><em>Top Shooter</em> – Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) – 90<br>
<em>Top Passer –</em> Francesc Fabregas (Arsenal) –    1676<br>
<em>Top Tackler </em>– Javier Mascherano (Liverpool) – 129<br>
<em>Most Dribbles &amp; Runs</em> – Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) – 128<em><br>
Most Crosses </em>– David Bentley (Blackburn) – 306<br>
<em>Most Offsides </em>– Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal) – 54<br>
<em>Most Fouls </em>– Kevin Davies (Bolton) – 76<br>
<em>Team with Most Fouls </em>– Middlesbrough – 422<br>
<em>Team with Most Shots</em> – Man Utd – 420</p>
<p>What are your thoughts on stats? Do you care? Do they really tell us something about a team or player? If you’re into stats, what sources do you use? I’m looking forward to your comments and links!</p>


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Top soccer leagues in the world as ranked by Opta

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Best soccer leagues in the world according to Opta

Leagues: MLS

MLS ranked 29th strongest league in the world, per Opta

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Do stats tell the story?