Top 100 Football Academies Worldwide Ranked in Latest Study

A fresh study has revealed the top 100 football academies around the world today. Every elite player begins somewhere, and their formative years at an academy often shape their future success. While famed academies like Manchester United's Carrington, Barcelona’s La Masia, and Jong Ajax are well-known, many other clubs nurture exceptional talent without as much attention.

The CIES Football Observatory conducted this annual analysis by tracking players trained by clubs active in 49 leagues worldwide. Their ranking uses a training index factoring in the number of trained players, the quality of their clubs, and game minutes played during the past year.

Ranks 100 to 91: Hidden Gems and Historic Powerhouses

Europa League winners Atalanta rank only 93rd despite producing stars like Alessandro Bastoni and Amad Diallo. Other notable names here include Villarreal, Basel, and Chilean giant Colo-Colo. Le Havre sits last at 100th but boasts alumni such as Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet.

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

Ranks 90 to 81: Serie A and Beyond

Inter Milan and Juventus appear among these mid-tier talent producers, suggesting Serie A clubs lean more on transfers than youth. Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor and Peru’s Sporting Cristal prove reputation isn't everything, with large numbers of professionals from their ranks. Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro leads the way here, boasting Manchester City prospect Savinho.

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

Ranks 80 to 71: Youth Traditions and Surprises

Liverpool remain England’s most decorated club and have produced stars like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones. Despite this, their academy ranks only 75th, the lowest among Premier League teams in the top 100. They rank above clubs like AS Monaco, who have developed World Cup winners like Kylian Mbappe. However, some European smaller clubs outrank them unexpectedly.

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

Ranks 70 to 61: Spanish and Argentinian Talent Pools

The Basque Country remains a hotspot for football talent and coaching with Real Sociedad’s La Cantera nurturing players like Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Oyarzabal. Atletico Madrid also shine here, retaining homegrown talents including Rodri, Koke, and Giuliano Simeone who feature regularly in Champions League football.

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

Ranks 60 to 51: Established European Giants

Manchester United’s Carrington Academy once was central to Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominance. While less prolific recently, it still produces talents like Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay, ranking 56th. Bayern Munich, ranked 54th, relies heavily on stars like Jamal Musiala and Karim Adeyemi. Dutch club Feyenoord emphasizes youth development strongly, with 47 current professionals trained through its system.

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

Ranks 50 to 41: Developing Stars Amidst Big Transfers

Chelsea’s Cobham Academy continues to produce talent, though their recent transfer spree overshadows homegrown options like Michael Olise and Declan Rice. Arsenal better utilizes youth with stars Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly becoming key. Colombia’s Envigado FC and Argentina’s Racing Club also make this group.

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

Ranks 40 to 31: Brazil’s Golden Touch

Brazil dominates this segment with clubs like Fluminense (home to Joao Pedro and Evanilson), SC Internacional (Alisson’s roots), and Gremio. The standout is Santos, famous for launching Neymar, whose record-breaking £192 million move to PSG remains iconic.

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

Ranks 30 to 21: Dutch Precision and Argentine Legacy

Manchester City’s academy churns out talents like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, though they sometimes lose prospects too easily. PSV Eindhoven is another Dutch powerhouse developing players such as Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay. Argentina’s Newell’s Old Boys still boast 69 professionals worldwide, though their influence has diminished since the Messi era.

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

Ranks 20 to 11: Emerging Powers and Established Names

Paris Saint-Germain shifted focus to youth under Luis Enrique, reaping rewards with young stars like Warren Zaire-Emery. Brazilian clubs Palmeiras, Flamengo, and Corinthians rank high, with Sao Paulo topping Brazilian sides here, producing players including Antony.

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

Ranks 10 to 1: Elite Academies Leading the Way

Red Star Belgrade boasts more graduates than Real Madrid, but the latter’s class is clear with stars like Achraf Hakimi. River Plate tops Argentine academies, producing 97 professionals globally and ranking above Ajax. Surprisingly, Barcelona’s La Masia is second, while Benfica claims the top spot for the second year running, having nurtured stars like Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva.

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