MLS is the real deal, folks.
Major League Soccer has solidified its position among the world’s top-tier soccer leagues, now ranked as the ninth-best league globally, according to Opta Analyst.
MLS ranked as ninth-best league in the world, over EFL Championship and Eredivisie
This milestone places MLS above renowned leagues like the English Championship and the Dutch Eredivisie — two leagues in Europe with long histories of having top soccer talents.
Opta has MLS as the 9th best league in the world.
I personally have it at 12 or 13. It could be top 10 after next year though pic.twitter.com/wN596roHrH— MLS Moves (@MLSMoves) February 4, 2025
The ranking, which measures leagues by their average team power rating, highlights MLS’s impressive growth in talent acquisition and development.
A major factor in this rise, as we’ve seen, has been the influx of star players in recent years, which have continued to replenish the competition with world-class players.
High-profile signings such as Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez with Inter Miami, Olivier Giroud with LAFC, and Wilfried Zaha with Charlotte FC — to name a few — in the past couple of seasons have helped continue the growth of league’s profile and quality.
This high-ranking comes just 29 years after Major League Soccer’s inaugural season in 1996, making it the youngest league in Opta’s list.
