Manchester City’s owners have announced a major new investment in Brazil with the launch of the City Football Academy Bahia, a state-of-the-art training complex worth around €50m (£43m).
As reported by [**Globo Esporte**](https://ge.globo.com/ba/futebol/times/bahia/noticia/2025/10/20/ceo-do-city-apresenta-novo-ct-do-bahia-com-hotel-miniestadio-e-investimento-de-r-300-milhoes.ghtml?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=Esporte&utm_campaign=globoEsporte), the project was announced in Salvador, presented by Ferran Soriano, CFG’s CEO, alongside Jerônimo Rodrigues, governor of Bahia.
The new base covers 560,000 square metres and includes 12 pitches, a mini stadium for 1,000 people, a hotel, youth accommodation and an administrative centre.
_“This is a historic day for Bahia, for the people of Bahia, and for Brazilian football,”_ Manchester City official Soriano said. _“It’s not just buildings and fields. It’s the home of Bahia, where players will grow both technically and personally.”_
The facility lies just 15 minutes from Salvador’s airport. Once finished, it will become the second-largest training centre in the City Group network, only behind Manchester City’s.
Moreover, Soriano explained that all City academies stay connected through technology, artificial intelligence and shared methodology. He added that CFA Bahia _“links Bahia with the world.”_
Manchester City can benefit from Brazilian talent
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The site will also host visiting clubs from the group. They will benefit from Brazil’s warm climate, ideal for pre-season training.
_“Bahia already had a pre-season in Manchester and Girona,”_ Soriano noted. _“Palermo also went to Manchester. Other clubs may come here too, taking advantage of the weather. In some places, it gets very cold in winter.”_
The project should finish by December 2027. It runs in four stages and is now in the environmental licensing phase. In addition, the City Group will fund renovations to Camaçari’s municipal stadium as part of its broader investment in the region.
_“Our focus is on Bahia and local talent,”_ Soriano added. _“We want every promising player from this state to develop here, in a place that matches the level of the world’s biggest clubs.”_
Clearly the plan is to hoover up Brazilian talent, which can only help Manchester City.