Son Heung-min shines in MLS, which proves in disguise that Messi’s data is “watery”? 3 gaps reveal the facts

I have seen many anti-fans saying that Son Heung-min scored 10 goals and 3 assists in 12 games when he first came to the MLS, which shows that the level here is too low, much worse than the Saudi league. From this, it can be concluded that Messi’s series of shining statistics are not worth mentioning at all. So is this the truth? In fact, as long as you notice these 3 "gaps", you can know how strong Messi is! The first gap is "team strength". Los Angeles FC, which Sun Heung-min joined, is a powerful MLS team. It won the 2022 Finals, was the runner-up in the 2023 Finals, and ranked first in the Western Conference in the 2024 regular season. This proves that both the lineup configuration and the management's team-building ability belong to the top level of the MLS. Therefore, when the Asian brother who won the Premier League Golden Boot comes to such a team with enough helpers, it is normal to average close to 1 goal per game.

Messi, on the other hand, joined the last-place team Inter Miami. Needless to say how poor the lineup is, but in this environment, Messi led the team to win the Cup as soon as he arrived. This season, he also used the third place in the Eastern Conference to prove that the team has completely transformed and is no longer a team player. This kind of change by oneself is much stronger than a simple contribution of 1 goal per game. Then the second gap is "age". Son Heung-min is only 33 years old, 5 years younger than Messi. Los Angeles FC even paid more than 20 million euros in transfer fees for him.

Anyone who has watched or played football will know that there is a huge gap between the age of 33 and the age of 38. For a self-disciplined and hard-working player like Sun Tianwang, there is a high probability that the physical function will not plummet at the age of 33, but the state will fluctuate greatly. Therefore, it is difficult to assume the core role of a powerful team like Tottenham, but it is still very useful to go to the mid-level powerhouse of the five major leagues. On the other hand, at the age of 38, his physical functions have already declined significantly, and most of the stars have retired. It is rare in history that Messi can maintain his current state. Then there is the third gap "data". Yes, Son Heung-min's 10 goals and 3 assists in 12 games are very impressive, but Messi's 32 goals and 16 assists in 30 games this season are even more dazzling. Even calculated based on official data, Messi directly dominates the four key data of goals, assists, successful dribbles and creation of scoring opportunities.

In other words, Son Heung-min, whose performance has already exploded, is still lagging behind Messi even though he has the advantage in age and lineup strength. As for using Son Heung-min's outstanding performance to prove that the MLS is better than the Saudi league, there is no need to do so. There is no connection at all between the two. Just pay attention to your favorite stars and don't go around pouring "black water" to discredit your idol. Otherwise, if you want to take this as an example, then Felix, who is untenable in the five major leagues, has also shined in the Saudi League, with 12 goals and 2 assists in 14 games so far this season, which is also outstanding.