Liverpool’s summer wide-man debate is already looking awkward. The club came close to matching their transfer record for Bradley Barcola, yet the early returns suggest Anthony Gordon may have been the more convincing option.

Barcola is beginning to resemble another expensive attacking question mark. With Mohamed Salah not even drawing the main spotlight, the winger has yet to register a goal or assist this season, and his output has been well below expectations. That stands in sharp contrast to Gordon, who has settled quickly after his move to Barcelona.

The numbers are hard to ignore. Gordon has produced six goal contributions in nine appearances for a new club in a new league, a strong return given the circumstances. He also added four goal contributions in three England appearances during the international window, while Barcola finished with none for France.

Andoni Iraola, though, is refusing to lose faith. “Sometimes we have to focus not just on the numbers,” the Liverpool manager said on Tuesday. He added that he has “100% trust” in both Barcola and Wirtz. “Bradley and Florian have had good games, bad games this season, but we know their level, and we are sure they’ll give us good performances.”

The comparison is strengthened by the broader statistical split. Barcola has made 10 appearances, played 511 minutes, and still has no goals or assists. Gordon, across 13 appearances and 775 minutes, has five goals and five assists, alongside stronger underlying figures in expected goals, expected assists, big chances created, successful dribbles and touches in the opposition box.

There was logic to Liverpool’s interest in Gordon. Born and raised in the city, he came from a Liverpool-supporting family and had spent five years there as a young child before his professional breakthrough at Everton. Liverpool needed help in replacing Salah, while Gordon was looking for a step up from Newcastle United.

Barcelona moved first, announcing his signing on May 29. The British club also tried to intervene, but, as reported, they were “late to the party”. With add-ons, Gordon’s move could rise above $93 million, while Barcola’s could reach $163 million.

For now, the better deal is clear. Barcola may still find the Champions League more forgiving than domestic football, starting with LASK and then Villarreal at Anfield.

Soccer contains an endless web of competitions, and that can make the hierarchy hard to read for newcomers and long-time supporters alike. Club football, international football, money, prestige and passion all pull in different directions, which is why arguments over what matters most never really end.

So here is a very unofficial ranking of the 20 biggest men’s soccer competitions in the world, with no claim that it will settle the debate for good. It is simply a guide to the tournaments and leagues that carry the most weight, shape the biggest conversations and, in many cases, draw the largest audiences.

At one end of the scale sits newer property such as the expanded Club World Cup, still trying to prove that it can become something more than a created spectacle. At the other, there are competitions with generations of history, from the FA Cup and Copa América to the oldest continental and domestic leagues.

Some of the strongest entries are built on tradition and identity. The Premier League stands as the sport’s most popular domestic competition, backed by unmatched wealth and a global marketing machine. La Liga retains enormous standing through the Clásico and a long history of elite talent. Serie A, despite its decline from the heights of the 1990s, still offers tradition and fierce competition.

Elsewhere, the picture changes sharply by region. AFCON remains one of the most emotionally charged tournaments anywhere, while the Euros set the benchmark for standard and reach among regional international competitions. In South America, the Copa América and the Copa Libertadores continue to carry huge emotional and competitive value, even if their global audience does not match Europe’s biggest club events.

Across Africa, Asia and the Americas, the scale, atmosphere and cultural pull of competitions such as the CAF Champions League, the Asian Cup, Liga MX, the Argentine Primera División and Brazil’s top flight show how broad soccer’s top tier really is. Each holds a different kind of authority, but all belong in the conversation.

There is room for disagreement, of course. That is part of the point. The sport keeps going, and the arguments keep going with it.

A new Premier League campaign is usually a time for resets, and this season has offered a longer runway than most for players to settle in. Some have taken advantage. Others, including several high-profile names, have yet to find any rhythm at all.

That contrast has made the early weeks of 2026/27 a useful moment to separate the encouraging from the disappointing. Here, then, are six of the season’s most underwhelming performers so far.

Florian Wirtz has already drawn heavy criticism after another subdued display at Bournemouth. Jamie Carragher was particularly blunt, saying that he doesn’t believe Wirtz “is in poor form; what we’re seeing is what he is.” Liverpool had hoped the €117.5 million arrival would kick on in his second season, but he has started this campaign with only one assist and too often looks peripheral rather than decisive.

Manchester United’s struggles are collective, but several individuals have also fallen short. The side sit 12th with five points and one league win, while Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and the new midfield additions have yet to impose themselves. Bryan Mbeumo has been pushed wide and has found one-on-one situations difficult, even if he has scored twice.

At Arsenal, Viktor Gyökeres has not convinced. He scored 14 league goals and five more in Europe last season, but this time he has been limited to just 29 Premier League minutes and enters October without a goal.

Sandro Tonali’s move to Tottenham Hotspur carried a huge price tag, yet the early return has been modest. He can carry the ball and protect transitions, but he still looks better suited to a more balanced midfield around him.

Chelsea’s switch from Robert Sánchez to Emiliano Martínez was framed as a statement of intent, but Martínez has conceded 10 goals in four league appearances and remains exposed by the team’s defensive structure.

Dominic Solanke completes the list. Tottenham’s attack has lacked control and reliability, and the striker looks well below the standard needed right now.