ATLANTA — Roughly an hour before the start of the 2018 MLS All-Star game, Liga MX President Enrique Bonilla spoke to reporters in the press box of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Liga MX and MLS in March announced a partnership that includes an annual tournament, a future All-Star battle and collaboration on best business practices and social responsibility.
Bonilla said the partnership is the first of many steps the two leagues will make together to improve both leagues.
“We joined forces to bring a better show, better football to our fans and bring official competitions to our fans,” he said. “Not just friendly games that are out fashion. They’re not good anymore. We have to bring something that is official, that is worthy to suffer in the stands and to enjoy in the stands.
“We are convinced that the distance in this global sport is getting shorter, smaller, every day in the world. Joining forces and doing things together and learning from each other and playing each other is going to make us better and it’s going to make us capable [of] competing with our final, that is to compete with the Europeans.”
The first Campeones Cup — which pits the champions of MLS and Liga MX against each other — takes place Sept. 19 at BMO Field in Toronto between Toronto FC and Tigres. The Reds knocked Tigres out of the CONCACAF Champions League in the quarterfinals.
“The Campeones Cup is the first step and it’s great that Tigres is playing against Toronto,” Bonilla said. “We have a revenge situation with Toronto and I think Tigres is going to try and win.”
Bonilla had high praise for MLS.
“The MLS has made a big effort and they are light years away from 25 years ago, when they started,” he said. “Now, they’re one of the best leagues, probably, in America. We are only three or four leagues, one is MLS, the other one is us and maybe the Brazilian [league].
“If we compare with Europe, if we put aside the big three or the big four… maybe we are very close, or we are even with those leagues.”
Bonilla said it’s possible a Liga MX All-Star team could face off against the MLS All-Stars “very soon.”
He added he’s been impressed with the passion he’s seen in Atlanta surrounding the All-Star Game.
“If you walk in the streets, everybody’s got a shirt,” Bonilla said. “In every restaurant, in every bar, there is something that refers to the soccer team. Yes, you can feel it in the streets. You can feel the passion in the streets.”