There are few sports that have such a widespread global following as soccer. If we were to encounter life in other worlds and enter some interplanetary sports tournament, it would undoubtedly be our planet’s sport of choice. Right now, the competition is all human in nature, and the sheer scale of soccer’s popularity means there are more leagues and tournaments around than there are for any other sport.
Of course, we all have our favorites, and these preferences are usually dictated by personal biases, such as the league our favorite team plays in or the one we have been following since we were kids. A couple of years ago, the people at Bleacher Report set some mathematicians the task of devising ranking factors such as player values, goals per game and others to scientifically calculate which leagues are the most entertaining. Here’s their top four.
4th – Serie A (8/10)
The Italian top flight boasts some of the most iconic teams in football. They also have the star power to draw the very best players. It’s similar to the way the top F1 drivers want to experience a season or two at Ferrari, and it’s how Italian teams can continue to attract the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo – even if they don’t have the budgets of teams like Paris St Germain or Barcelona. Italian teams also have a certain mercurial unpredictability, so fans find it hard to look away.
3rd – Bundesliga (8.5/10)
If it was down to popularity alone, the Bundesliga would have won hands down. The league attracts higher average spectator numbers than any other, and when it comes to betting on football leagues, there are punters staking their cash on Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and the rest from all over the world. The only thing that knocked the Bundesliga down the rankings was the relatively defensive style of play, with a below-average 2.7 goals per game.
2nd – La Liga (8.6/10)
If you know anything about world soccer, you won’t be surprised to know that La Liga is where the biggest bucks are spent. The likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid have made some of the most high-value signings in the history of sport over recent seasons. The result? This is where the biggest names come to play when they are in their absolute prime. 2.9 goals per game shows that they also know how to put on a show. The only real negative to La Liga is that it is dominated by the top teams, and the quality drops off dramatically lower down.
1st – English Premier League (8.9/10)
The most entertaining team of all is calculated to be the EPL. Plenty of goals, iconic clubs paying out big money for the top stars and famous stadia that are worth the price of admission even if there’s no game on, this is the league that has it all. It also goes some way towards explaining why it is that whatever far-flung corner of the world you visit, you will always encounter at least one person wearing a Manchester United shirt.