Is the best player in Major League Soccer LA Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic or is it LAFC forward and league leading scorer Carlos Vela?

According to Ibrahimovic, the problem is even asking the question in the first place.

“I have a lot of respect for Vela, he’s a good player, but you made one mistake – you compared him with me,” said Ibrahimovic.   “That was your biggest mistake.”

In only its second year of existence, the derby between the Galaxy and LAFC has produced one of the best rivalries in Major League Soccer featuring two of the league’s most prolific scorers, Ibrahimovic and Vela.

The two players could line up side by side in the starting lineup on Wednesday night as the MLS All-Stars face Atletico Madrid.

Ibrahimovic has already turned two “El Trafico” derby matches into personal showcases.

Coming off the bench to score a highlight reel debut goal and a stoppage time winner in the first and collecting all three points for his side with a hat trick in the most recent iteration.

Due to the mega wattage performances by the former Swedish international, Vela’s performances in those games could go unnoticed, but he scored twice within 26 minutes in Ibrahimovic’s stellar debut and in the midst of the hat trick game, also found the net twice.

These elite scorers going back and forth on the field would be enough, but they have waged a war of words as hot as anything they have produced on the pitch.

Ibrahimovic began by taking a shot at the overall level of the league.

“Here, I am like a Ferrari among Fiats. And it can happen that the Ferrari can become the Fiat, or the Fiat can become the Ferrari.  I want them to come up to my level. The game here [in America] could be so much faster, so much more tactical, so much more rhythmic."

Ibrahimovic continued by zeroing his focus in on his crosstown rival when asked by ESPN if he is the best player in the league, despite Vela leading the league in goals.

“By far, because if he’s in his prime (29-years-old), he’s playing in MLS in his prime.  When I was 29, where was I? (In Europe) Big difference.”

Vela hit back after LAFC’s 3-2 loss to the Galaxy earlier this month, conceding the historical case, but giving the nod to himself in the present term.

"Comparing would show a lack of respect towards him, but if we look at the stats and forget age and whatever, I'm better than him right now, that's the reality," Vela told ESPN after the game.  “And in terms of the rest, he's been Zlatan and only [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano [Ronaldo] are better than him; the rest of us aren't in the same league."

Vela has a few arguments on his side.  He is currently leading the MLS with 22 goals, while Ibrahimovic trails him and Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez, currently sitting third with 16.

The 30-year-old is also second in the league with 13 assists, while his older crosstown rival only has three helpers.

Vela has also been handed the captain’s arm band for the all-star showcase at Exploria Stadium in Orlando.

Will the pair be able to put aside their differences for one night and lead the MLS All-Stars to their first win since 2015? You’ll have to tune in Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on TSN1, TSN4, TSN5 and TSN Direct to find out.