Top 100 Football Academies Worldwide: Latest Rankings Revealed

A fresh study has unveiled the top 100 football academies worldwide. Every elite player begins somewhere, and the academy shaping their early years can hugely influence their professional journey.

Football demands dedication from youth levels, and those foundational academy years often set a player's future course. While the likes of Manchester United’s Carrington Academy, Barcelona’s legendary La Masia, and Jong Ajax frequently receive praise, numerous other development hubs rarely get their due recognition.

The annual research by the CIES Football Observatory analyzed clubs training players active across 49 leagues globally to rank academies based on a training index. This index considers the number of trained players, the competitive level of their clubs last season, and official minutes played during that period.

Ranks 100 to 91: Hidden Gems and Established Names

Even the 2024 Europa League champions Atalanta come in at 93rd, alongside teams like Villarreal, Basel, Braga, and Chilean powerhouse Colo-Colo. Atalanta’s academy, named after youth legend Mino Favini, counts talents such as Alessandro Bastoni and Manchester United’s fan favourite Amad Diallo among its graduates.

At the very bottom sits Le Havre AC in 100th place, yet this French club boasts a rich history of launching careers for stars like Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet, Lassana Diarra, and Steve Mandanda.

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

Ranks 90 to 81: Diverse Talent Pools

Inter Milan and Juventus make appearances here, suggesting Serie A's preference for transfer market moves over youth reliance, though players like Kenan Yildiz and Federico Dimarco tell another story.

Clubs like Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor and Peru’s 20-time champions Sporting Cristal highlight how reputation isn’t everything; both have many professionals emerging despite fewer global stars.

Atletico Mineiro ranks as the first Brazilian club here, with Manchester City wonderkid Savinho its standout graduate.

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

Ranks 80 to 71: Youth Commitment Amid Challenges

Liverpool, England's most decorated club, is known for trusting youth, with legends like Steven Gerrard and current stars such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones.

Despite their commitment, Liverpool ranks 75th, the lowest among Premier League academies in the top 100. They sit just above clubs like AS Monaco, famous for World Cup winners including Kylian Mbappe, but trail behind smaller European clubs like Slovakia's MSK Zilina and Serbia's FK Vojvodina.

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

Ranks 70 to 61: Spanish and Argentine Roots

The Basque region shines with managers like Xabi Alonso and Mikel Arteta, alongside Real Sociedad’s academy nurturing exciting talent such as Martin Zubimendi, who chose Arsenal over Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Atletico Madrid remains a strong academy presence, producing stars like Rodri and retaining homegrown talents including Koke and Giuliano Simeone.

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

Ranks 60 to 51: Established Giants and Rising Stars

Manchester United’s Carrington Academy once fueled Sir Alex Ferguson's era with talents like Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay, ranking 56th here. Bayern Munich holds 53rd, led by superstars Jamal Musiala and Karim Adeyemi.

Feyenoord in the Netherlands focuses on gradual growth, scouting locally before expanding to Belgium and Scandinavia, producing 47 professionals currently.

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

Ranks 50 to 41: Patience vs Signings

Chelsea’s academy at Cobham keeps producing talent, but the club’s recent transfer spree of nearly 100 players since 2022 questions their faith in youth development. Players like Michael Olise, Declan Rice, and Marc Guehi could have formed a competitive squad had patience been prioritized.

Arsenal better balances youth integration with signings, fielding stars like Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly, though they learned from letting Eberechi Eze slip away too soon.

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

Ranks 40 to 31: Brazil’s Talent Surge

Brazilian clubs dominate this section. Fluminense produced Premier League forwards Joao Pedro and Evanilson, while SC Internacional laid the groundwork for Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.

Cruzeiro boasts 43 players with significant playing time globally, and Gremio tops that with 55 graduates. The standout remains Santos, home to Neymar, whose 2017 £192 million move to PSG remains the most expensive transfer ever.

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

Ranks 30 to 21: Dutch Precision and Argentinian Legacy

Manchester City’s academy has been key to recent success, producing stars like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer. Yet many talents slip away too easily. PSV Eindhoven continues Dutch tradition with graduates like Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay.

Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina have 69 graduates active worldwide, though their recent playing minutes suggest a dip from past glories when Lionel Messi emerged.

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

Ranks 20 to 11: Youth Revolution and Brazilian Excellence

Paris Saint-Germain moved away from star-studded lineups, placing faith in youth under Luis Enrique. Warren Zaire-Emery became key in their Champions League wins over Inter Milan and Arsenal.

Brazilian sides feature strongly: Palmeiras at 18th with young talents Estevao and Endrick; Flamengo at 15th; Corinthians at 14th; and Sao Paulo topping Brazilian clubs, producing players like Manchester United’s Antony.

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

Ranks 10 to 1: Europe’s Elite Academies

Red Star Belgrade boasts more graduates than Real Madrid at 9th, but the quality gap is clear with Madrid's alumni including top right-back Achraf Hakimi.

Argentina's River Plate leads with 97 graduates worldwide, surpassing even Ajax. Surprisingly, Barcelona’s La Masia ranks second behind Benfica, which tops the list again. Benfica’s highlights include Joao Neves and stars like Ruben Dias, Goncalo Ramos, Bernardo Silva, and Joao Cancelo.

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