The footballing world has witnessed significant growth in youth academies over the last few decades. However, some of these youth development soccer academies stand out for consistently producing top talents for the game.
Top Youth Development Clubs Globally
Here's a ranking of the best football academies in the world, based on their performance in producing world-class footballers at different positions for the game.
1. La Masia
La Masia is undoubtedly the best-performing football academy in the world. Although it was only formed in 1979 by former Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff in a bid to imitate Ajax, La Masia has quickly grown to become a preeminent alma mater in global football.
Lionel Messi is undoubtedly the most famous La Masia alumni and was named alongside Xavi and Iniesta – two other La Masia alumni – as Ballon d'Or finalists in 2010. Other notable products from the Spanish training program include Carles Puyol, Pep Guardiola, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Pedro, Victor Valdes, Pique, and most recently, Lamine Yamal.
With such tremendous success at the top-tier footballing level, players who get promoted to Barcelona's senior team instantly know the expectations ahead of them. Often, many of the players have tended towards fulfilling those expectations.
2. Ajax Football Training Program
Ajax's De Toekomst has produced many of football's greatest talents | Ajax Gerard van Hees
Founded on March 18, 1900, Ajax's football training program is called "De Toekomst: (Dutch for "future"). While Ajax may not be among the best 10-performing teams in the world, its academy is one of the most successful in history.
The 124-year-old football academy is responsible for producing numerous world-class footballers, from the legendary Cryuff to Suarez and recent budding star Ryan Gravenberch. The academy has been responsible for the team's recent success including their undefeated run in the 2021/22 Champions League group stage. The majority of Ajax's Champions League-winning squad from the mid-1990s also sprang from this academy.
Other famous De Toekomst alumni include Marco Van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Rijkaard, Edgar Davids, Kluivert, the Boer twins, van der Sar, Seedorf, van der Wart, Sneijder, De Jong, Eriksen, Matthijs de Ligt, and Edwin van der Sar (who’s now the club’s chief executive).
De Toekomst’s remarkable success has made it one of the most competitive football academies in the world, and applicants must pass a rigorous selection procedure. Its football training program hosts around 200 students aged between 7 and 19 years.
3. Manchester United Academy
The most famous club in the world also boasts of England’s best football training programs and one of the best youth development clubs in the world. Numerous athletes, including Bobby Charlton, David Beckham, George Best, Paul Scholes, and Ryan Giggs, developed their skills at the AON training facility.
The academy currently comprises two age groups: under 9s and under 18s, both involved in England's C-League. More recent discoveries like Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Elanga, and Kobbie Mainoo, have quickly become a witness to the academy's success and the club's stickler for tradition.
4. Santos Academy
Brazil is the most football-loving nation on the planet. Their passion for the game has seen them mature the bulk of local talents before foreign scouts come for them.
A young Neymar Jr. during his formative years in Santos | Santos FC via X
The Santos academy is the most superior of Brazilian academies in terms of effectiveness, longevity, and consistency. It was formed on April 14, 1912, and has since exported more Brazilians to Europe than any other in the country.
Santos has at least 92 other academies across the world in the bid to reproduce a successful history that has groomed remarkable athletes like Pele, Neymar, Robinho, and recently, Rodrygo, who observers say is a likely heir apparent to Neymar. The main academy is situated next to the club of the same name and hosts a youth training facility that includes a training room, a gym, a cafeteria area, and a place to stay at the stadium.
Santos' fundamental idea is to allow players to express themselves without stringent restrictions. Such principle is easily behind the highly technical nature of many of Santos' top products. It also established the Centro de Desenvolvimento a Performance ao Futebol (Football Achievement Development Centre) to set a benchmark for how young teams should develop their bodies.
5. Sporting Lisbon Academy
Sporting leads the Portuguese youth division, thanks to the club's commitment to building stars from scratch. Despite a subpar outing in top-flight Portuguese football and limited involvement in Europe, Sporting's academy boasts one of the continent's most outstanding on the continent.
It's the only football youth development club to have produced two different Ballon d'Or winners – Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo. The academy delivers an average of seven players annually to the Portuguese national team, affirming its prominence.
Other famous alumni from this training program are Nani, Moutinho, Quaresma, and fresher names like Rafael Leao, Nuno Mendes, and Jao Palhinha.
The academy, which highlights the player’s unique characteristics, was the first and only football academy to be accredited with ISO 9001:2008 for its training ground and system. Sporting CP Academy is equipped with a medical facility, gym, Jacuzzi, dormitories, and other amenities.
Honorable Mentions
Chelsea's Cobham Training Center is one of the most respected football academies in the world | Chelsea FC
Beyond earning a significant fortune from their sales, Chelsea has been the runway for the takeoff of many young stars like Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Nathan Ake, Ola Aina, and Reece James. Bayern Munich easily deserves an honorable mention among the world's best football academies, with notable alumni like Thomas Muller, Philipp Lahm, Hummels, David Alaba, Felix Goetze, Toni Kroos, and Dietmar Hamman starring for club and country since the turn of the century.
Other significantly successful youth development clubs worth noting include:
- Southampton: The academy responsible for training top-flight players like Gareth Bale, Valentino Livramento, James Ward-Prowse, Alan Shearer, Jamal Musiala, Theo Walcott, and Alex Chamberlain).
- Sao Paulo: An academy with notable alumni like Cafu, Denilson, Kaka, Oscar, and Antony.
- Shalke 04: An academy with notable alumni like Leroy Sane, Mesut Ozil, and Manuel Neuer.
Final Remarks
Barcelona, Ajax, Manchester United, Santos, and Sporting Lisbon undoubtedly have the most prolific youth training programs in the world. While many other youth academies globally have reliably produced several superstars, these five stand out in churning out a larger number of world-class athletes for various national/club sides. Expectedly, they're easily some of the most competitive, but getting an academy graduate in or out of these clubs could well mean a fortune – one way or the other.