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Top 100 Football Academies Worldwide Ranked in Latest Study

A fresh study has unveiled and ranked the 100 leading football academies around the globe. Every elite player begins their journey somewhere, and the academy where they develop early skills often shapes their future career trajectory.

Football demands commitment from the grassroots up, with those early years in academies significantly influencing a player's path. While Manchester United's Carrington Academy, Barcelona's renowned La Masia, and Jong Ajax frequently earn praise for producing star talent, many other academies also play crucial roles but don't always get the spotlight.

Each year, the CIES Football Observatory assesses clubs training players active in 49 leagues worldwide to rank the best academies. Their ranking uses a training index that considers how many players the academy produced, the quality of clubs those players last played for, and the total official minutes logged.

Ranks 100-91

The sheer number of exceptional academies is clear, with 2024 Europa League champions Atalanta placed 93rd alongside clubs like Villarreal, Basel, Braga, and Chilean powerhouse Colo-Colo. Atalanta’s academy, named after youth mentor Mino Favini, boasts graduates including Alessandro Bastoni and fan favorite Amad Diallo.

At the bottom, Le Havre AC sits 100th but has a proud history launching stars such as Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet, despite recent challenges from bigger Ligue 1 clubs.

  • 100: Le Havre AC (France) – 37 players, index 32.6
  • 99: Caracas FC (Venezuela) – 49 players, index 32.6
  • 98: FC Basel (Switzerland) – 31 players, index 32.8
  • 97: FC Copenhagen (Denmark) – 30 players, index 32.8
  • 96: Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia) – 30 players, index 32.8
  • 95: SC Braga (Portugal) – 30 players, index 33.1
  • 94: Colo Colo (Chile) – 47 players, index 33.2
  • 93: Atalanta (Italy) – 25 players, index 33.5
  • 92: Gimnasia La Plata (Argentina) – 26 players, index 33.5
  • 91: Villarreal (Spain) – 30 players, index 34.1

Ranks 90-81

Italian giants Inter Milan and Juventus appear lower in this section, possibly reflecting Serie A’s preference for transfers over homegrown talent, though players like Kenan Yildiz challenge that view. Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan) and Peru’s Sporting Cristal show that facilities don’t tell the whole story, each producing dozens of pros. Atletico Mineiro stands as Brazil’s first entry here, highlighted by Manchester City wonderkid Savinho.

  • 90: Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan) – 57 players, index 34.1
  • 89: Liverpool FC (Uruguay) – 37 players, index 34.7
  • 88: Inter Milan (Italy) – 29 players, index 35.0
  • 87: Juventus (Italy) – 32 players, index 35.0
  • 86: Standard Liege (Belgium) – 34 players, index 35.5
  • 85: LDU Quito (Ecuador) – 40 players, index 35.8
  • 84: Sporting Cristal (Peru) – 56 players, index 35.9
  • 83: CA Union (Argentina) – 36 players, index 37.0
  • 82: Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) – 45 players, index 37.1
  • 81: Atletico Mineiro (Brazil) – 33 players, index 37.2

Ranks 80-71

Liverpool upholds a legacy of youth development with stars like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones emerging recently. Despite strong youth appearances, Liverpool ranks 75th, the lowest among Premier League academies featured in the top 100. They sit just above AS Monaco, who have produced world-class talents such as Kylian Mbappe, but trail European minnows like MSK Zilina and FK Vojvodina, which some might find surprising.

  • 80: Chivas Guadalajara (Mexico) – 37 players, index 37.5
  • 79: RCD Espanyol (Spain) – 33 players, index 37.5
  • 78: AS Monaco (France) – 36 players, index 37.5
  • 77: FC Midtjylland (Denmark) – 37 players, index 37.9
  • 76: Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) – 38 players, index 38.9
  • 75: Liverpool (England) – 36 players, index 39.1
  • 74: Deportivo Cali (Colombia) – 54 players, index 39.7
  • 73: MSK Zilina (Slovakia) – 41 players, index 39.7
  • 72: FK Vojvodina (Serbia) – 42 players, index 39.9
  • 71: CA Banfield (Argentina) – 49 players, index 40.1

Ranks 70-61

The Basque region shines through Real Sociedad's La Cantera, nurturing exciting Spanish talent like Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Oyarzabal. Atletico Madrid also impresses with homegrown stars such as Rodri and Koke still playing regular Champions League football.

  • 70: CA Belgrano (Argentina) – 41 players, index 40.9
  • 69: Montevideo Wanderers (Uruguay) – 43 players, index 41.0
  • 68: FC Nordsjaelland (Denmark) – 39 players, index 41.1
  • 67: Independiente Medellin (Colombia) – 43 players, index 41.9
  • 66: Valencia (Spain) – 38 players, index 42.0
  • 65: Atletico Madrid (Spain) – 33 players, index 42.2
  • 64: Slavia Praha (Czechia) – 39 players, index 42.3
  • 63: Athletic Club (Spain) – 28 players, index 42.5
  • 62: Sparta Praha (Czechia) – 41 players, index 42.8
  • 61: Real Sociedad (Spain) – 27 players, index 43.3

Ranks 60-51

Manchester United's Carrington Academy once fueled Sir Alex Ferguson's dominance, producing talents like Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay. Currently ranked 56th, United sits just below Bayern Munich, whose academy boasts stars such as Jamal Musiala and Karim Adeyemi. The Dutch club Feyenoord emphasizes a balanced approach between football skill and personal growth, producing 47 current professionals.

  • 60: Club Guarani (Paraguay) – 46 players, index 43.5
  • 59: FC Porto (Portugal) – 38 players, index 44.0
  • 58: Athletico Paranaense (Brazil) – 35 players, index 44.5
  • 57: Olimpia Asuncion (Paraguay) – 55 players, index 44.5
  • 56: Manchester United (England) – 40 players, index 45.2
  • 55: CA Independiente (Argentina) – 43 players, index 45.2
  • 54: Bayern Munich (Germany) – 40 players, index 45.9
  • 53: Club Brugge (Belgium) – 35 players, index 47.2
  • 52: CF Pachuca (Mexico) – 46 players, index 47.4
  • 51: Feyenoord (Netherlands) – 47 players, index 47.9

Ranks 50-41

Chelsea struggles with reliance on signings over developing talent at Cobham, despite having produced stars like Michael Olise and Declan Rice. Arsenal better capitalizes on homegrown talent with players like Bukayo Saka, though they paid dearly to bring Eberechi Eze back after releasing him early. Other notable academies in this group include Colombia’s Envigado FC and Argentina’s Argentinos Juniors.

  • 50: Chelsea (England) – 34 players, index 48.3
  • 49: Envigado FC (Colombia) – 64 players, index 48.3
  • 48: Arsenal (England) – 42 players, index 48.7
  • 47: Racing Club (Argentina) – 49 players, index 50.1
  • 46: Hajduk Split (Croatia) – 40 players, index 50.5
  • 45: Argentinos Juniors (Argentina) – 48 players, index 50.8
  • 44: Stade Rennais (France) – 43 players, index 50.9
  • 43: AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) – 43 players, index 52.8
  • 42: Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) – 60 players, index 53.1
  • 41: Club Estudiantes (Argentina) – 51 players, index 53.5

Ranks 40-31

Brazilian clubs dominate here. Fluminense developed Premier League forwards Joao Pedro and Evanilson; SC Internacional laid the groundwork for goalkeeper Alisson; Cruzeiro counts 43 players with heavy game time worldwide; and Gremio tops with 55 graduates. Santos remains famous for producing Neymar, whose record £192 million transfer highlights Brazil's talent production.

  • 40: Penarol (Uruguay) – 60 players, index 53.5
  • 39: RB Salzburg (Austria) – 50 players, index 54.3
  • 38: Fluminense (Brazil) – 51 players, index 55.2
  • 37: SC Internacional (Brazil) – 44 players, index 55.4
  • 36: Club Libertad (Paraguay) – 51 players, index 55.5
  • 35: Cruzeiro (Brazil) – 50 players, index 56.0
  • 34: Lyon (France) – 48 players, index 56.1
  • 33: Gremio (Brazil) – 55 players, index 56.4
  • 32: Independiente del Valle (Ecuador) – 54 players, index 56.8
  • 31: Santos (Brazil) – 53 players, index 57.6

Ranks 30-21

Manchester City relies on a well-oiled academy that has nurtured stars like Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, though it sometimes loses young talent too soon. PSV Eindhoven takes pride in graduates like Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay. Newell's Old Boys in Argentina still produce many pros, though their influence has waned since Lionel Messi's era.

  • 30: PSV (Netherlands) – 48 players, index 57.8
  • 29: Danubio FC (Uruguay) – 66 players, index 58.7
  • 28: Cerro Porteno (Paraguay) – 57 players, index 58.9
  • 27: KRC Genk (Belgium) – 45 players, index 59.7
  • 26: Newell's Old Boys (Argentina) – 69 players, index 60.6
  • 25: RSC Anderlecht (Belgium) – 52 players, index 60.9
  • 24: Rosario Central (Argentina) – 60 players, index 61.7
  • 23: CA Lanus (Argentina) – 65 players, index 61.7
  • 22: Atletico Nacional (Colombia) – 62 players, index 63.2
  • 21: Manchester City (England) – 50 players, index 63.2

Ranks 20-11

Paris Saint-Germain shifted focus to youth under Luis Enrique, with Warren Zaire-Emery becoming a key player during their Champions League successes. Brazilian clubs Palmeiras, Flamengo, Corinthians, and Sao Paulo feature strongly, with Sao Paulo’s 65 graduates including Antony, now thriving at Real Betis.

  • 20: FK Partisan (Serbia) – 70 players, index 63.9
  • 19: Paris Saint-Germain (France) – 62 players, index 65.0
  • 18: Palmeiras (Brazil) – 56 players, index 65.1
  • 17: Club Nacional (Uruguay) – 70 players, index 65.4
  • 16: CA San Lorenzo (Argentina) – 66 players, index 66.8
  • 15: Flamengo (Brazil) – 51 players, index 67.4
  • 14: Sc Corinthians (Brazil) – 57 players, index 68.8
  • 13: Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) – 63 players, index 70.3
  • 12: Sao Paulo (Brazil) – 65 players, index 71.3
  • 11: Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) – 79 players, index 73.3

Ranks 10-1

Red Star Belgrade produces more players than Real Madrid, though Madrid’s graduates include world-class right-back Achraf Hakimi. Surprisingly, Argentina’s River Plate leads with 97 current professionals, placing above Ajax. And for a second year running, Benfica claims the top spot, boasting graduates like Joao Neves, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Joao Cancelo. Barcelona’s La Masia ranks second.

  • 10: Velez Sarsfield (Argentina) – 70 players, index 73.8
  • 9: Real Madrid (Spain) – 58 players, index 74.8
  • 8: Defensor SC (Uruguay) – 88 players, index 77.0
  • 7: Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) – 77 players, index 77.9
  • 6: Sporting CP (Portugal) – 76 players, index 83.4
  • 5: Boca Juniors (Argentina) – 86 players, index 95.0
  • 4: Ajax (Netherlands) – 80 players, index 97.6
  • 3: River Plate (Argentina) – 97 players, index 98.3
  • 2: Barcelona (Spain) – 76 players, index 98.7
  • 1: Benfica (Portugal) – 93 players, index 105.1

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