Tigres striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has praised the scale and quality of Mexican football, saying it could be more powerful than France and is the reference point on the American continent.
Gignac, 30, left Marseille for Tigres last summer and helped his new club reach the Copa Libertadores final and win the Liga MX Apertura title.
His form earned him a recall to the France squad and Tigres have continued to enjoy success in 2016, making the CONCACAF Champions League final only to lose to fellow Mexican side America last month.
Many observers in Europe felt that Gignac was taking a step down by switching continents, but he told France Football that he has been highly impressed by football in Mexico.
"Mexico is a big footballing country, maybe even more competitive and more powerful than France," he said.
Gignac has scored 26 goals in 36 league matches for Tigres and is enjoying life off the field too.
Having seen Mexican football's infrastructure, standard and fans first-hand, he said the league there had no reason to be envious of Ligue 1.
"I played 10 seasons [in Ligue 1] -- I can compare them," he said.
"Here there is more passion, more identification with the club, more respect for the players and the colours.
"You play all the time in stadiums with capacities of 40,000 to more than 100,000 and that are often full.
"People in France talk a lot about MLS, the United States, and its expansion.
"But I played over there in the CONCACAF Champions League against Real Salt Lake.
"It's good -- there's a nice stadium and a superb pitch -- but it's nothing compared to Liga MX.
"Even my Argentinean and Brazilian teammates at Tigres, who are internationals, tell me that the Mexican league has become better than their own. It's the reference in South, Central and North America."