Cristiano Ronaldo reignited the controversy in regards to the Saudi Professional League’s (SPL) speedy rise throughout the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards, boldly claiming it has surpassed France’s Ligue 1. The Worldwide Federation of Soccer Historical past and Statistics (IFFHS) has now weighed in, releasing its annual rating of the world’s strongest leagues, providing a data-driven perspective on the matter.
On the awards ceremony, Ronaldo praised the SPL’s growth. “The Saudi Professional League is healthier than Ligue 1, after all,” Ronaldo stated. “I’m not saying that as a result of I play right here. Individuals ought to come and see for themselves. Attempt sprinting at full pace in 38, 39, or 40 levels. In France, there’s just one membership; the remainder are useless. PSG has the cash and the very best gamers, and nobody can come near them,” he said.
Whereas Ronaldo’s assertion sparked dialog, the IFFHS rating suggests a special narrative. Based in 1984 in Germany, the IFFHS releases a number of ranks all year long with their very own system, lately gifting away the lads’s strongest nationwide league on the planet.
As they state, the federation “created this rating contemplating that the efficiency stage of a league relied on the outcomes from the very best groups of every nation (solely the 5 finest groups are thought of ) in nationwide and worldwide competitions. Some extent system is so utilized for every league and is acknowledged as an goal indicator of the league stage.”
IFFHS 2024 rating: The place do SPL and Ligue 1 stand?
In keeping with the IFFHS, the Saudi Professional League remains to be removed from the Prime 10 strongest nationwide leagues on the planet. The Saudi Arabian first division ranks because the twenty first finest league, with 563,75 factors.
In the meantime, France’s Ligue 1, regardless of dropping two locations in comparison with 2023, holds the eighth place with 1,125 factors. This locations Ligue 1 considerably forward of the SPL by over 13 spots within the rankings.
Prime 10 males’s leagues in 2024 (IFFHS rankings)
1st: Italy – Serie A (1992 factors).2nd: Spain – La Liga (1885 factors).third: England – Premier League (1871 factors).4th: Brazil – Brasileirao A (1859 factors).fifth: Germany – Bundesliga (1606 factors).sixth: Argentina – Primera Division (1184 factors).seventh: Portugal – Primeira Liga (1170 factors).eighth: France – Ligue 1 (1125 factors).ninth: Belgium – Professional League (1095,5 factors).tenth: Netherlands – Eredivisie (1015 factors).
SPL’s outstanding development within the rankings
The Saudi Professional League has skilled speedy development, largely fueled by important investments from Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund (PIF). These investments have attracted world stars corresponding to Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar, elevating the league’s world profile.
The SPL’s progress within the IFFHS rankings underscores its evolution. In 2022, the league ranked fortieth with 352.75 factors. By 2023, it climbed to thirty third with 479.5 factors. Now, in 2024, the SPL has soared to twenty first place with 563.75 factors—a formidable bounce of 19 positions in simply two years.
Regardless of these developments, the SPL remains to be trailing the primary AFC league, the Japan’s J1 League, which ranks twentieth with 565.5 factors, and stays effectively behind the Prime 10. Nonetheless, the league’s trajectory means that continued funding and development might quickly bridge the hole.
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