World Football: Is There A Statistic That Can End The "Best League" Debate?

Fans of La Liga will argue that given the presence of the world's best players (1), they have the most exciting league in the world.  

Serie A devotees will advocate that the tactical brilliance of their league and the smallest points differential between the top six teams over the last few years—a key component of a competitive and exciting league—give their league the top spot.

Then there are the English Premier League faithfuls. They will point to the inclusion of five out of eight teams in the last four Champions League finals being English, and the massive worldwide syndication of their league as evidence that their league is best.

The answer to which is the best league seems to be a question that is far too subjective to be answered accurately.  

Where, though, would your vote lie if you found yourself in a somewhat different situation?

Imagine that geography were not an issue. Your allegiance to a league was not based on it being where you can get access and exposure to it, but simply on the inherent value of that league. The following are just a few possible deciding factors.

The "best players" argument:

From a simple standpoint, this could easily be the most important factor.  

Why wouldn't you support a league where you could watch the world's best players play week in and week out?

The issue this argument has is that these players tend to be spread about in only a handful of teams in any league. So, if you are a fan of a team without a star player, this argument becomes weak.

AS nice as it is to be able to see these players in action, if their actions send your team to the bottom of the table, the best player argument has again lost its appeal.

The "best teams" argument:

For European teams the benchmark used for measuring success must be the Champions League.  

Using only the winning team may be disingenuous, given that each of the last four finals (with perhaps the last as the only exception) could have easily been won by either team.

Thus, representation in the final rounds is a far better indicator of overall team quality.

Again, though, if you are looking at this as a fan of any other team in the Premier League, does this really make you enjoy your domestic competition any more? (2)

That leads us to the competitive level of all teams in a league: 

Now of course, there will always be a natural divide within a league.  

Football is a money-making venture, and that will always create this divide. (3)

There will always be the same top teams each year, with a little fluctuation every few years.

This then begs the question, what constitutes a competitive league?

A league with a fair distribution of points would be the clear answer, and that might fall on Serie A.  

This distribution in the Italian League comes as a result of what appears to be a disproportionately large number of drawn games.  

This then begs the next question, as to whether that lowers the excitement level—and to many people, it will.

The Italian league also suffers from it's recent scandals—match fixing—a black mark against any league.

In terms of a competitive league based on points, the Italian League is, in fact, behind the Bundesliga.  

The level of competition in this league is second to none.  

With that said, the Bundesliga falls a little short in the other aspects of an exciting league.  

This is most notable in the fact that not one German team has reached a champions league final in the last seven seasons.

In conclusion:  

Adding in all factors—the best players, teams, and competition level—it might appear that the Premier League is moving towards the title of "best" league.  

The difference in points between the top six teams in the league has dropped dramatically this season. And although it still remains off from other leagues, it is moving in the right direction.

One point which seems key in this argument is that the top teams in the Premier League suffer more defeats per season, even relative to games played, than in any other league. 

Surely there is no better indicator of a competitive and exciting league, than when any team in that league travels to games with the knowledge that three points are never a guarantee.

Are there any other factors people can contribute?  The fans' passion level, perhaps?

(1) The past three World Footballers of the Year ply their trade in Spain.

(2) Perhaps the exception being that success in Europe opens up further opportunities for extra additions to European competition.

(3) Perhaps advocating for salary caps?