15th January 2026
January 15 – Barcelona continue to boast the most productive academy in elite European football, according to the CIES Football Observatory, which tracks clubs responsible for training players currently active across Europe’s big-5 leagues.
Graduates from the famed La Masia account for a total of 40 players featuring this season across the top five leagues – comfortably the highest total recorded. Of those 40 players, 10 currently feature for the club’s first team including the likes of Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde and Fermin Lopez.
Real Madrid’s La Fabrica follows with 35 players, while Paris Saint-Germain sit third with 31 – though only six players currently play at their orgininal clubs.
Real Madrid are particularly thin for elite-level academy talent, having opted to pay for their superstar names whilst academy talent makes up the numbers on the bench.
France is particularly well represented – Stade Rennais rank fourth overall with 29 players, continuing a long-standing reputation for youth development, while Lyon are also a big player in academy football. Outside the big-5 leagues, Ajax are the highest-ranked club, placing fifth overall with 27 former academy players active across Europe’s top divisions.
The top 10 is completed by Chelsea, Real Sociedad, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City. The data points to England, Spain and France as the top hotbeds for academy talent.
CIES also measured impact by minutes played, rather than simply player numbers. On that metric, Real Madrid sit top this season, with Barcelona and PSG again close behind.
Over both five- and ten-year periods, the same trio occupy the leading positions – a nod to their long-term influence on elite player production.
Outside of Europe, River Plate head the rankings, ahead of Flamengo and Génération Foot, highlighting the continued importance of South America and Africa in the global talent pipeline at the top level.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [moc.l1768476749labto1768476749ofdlr1768476749owedi1768476749sni@g1768476749niwe.1768476749yrrah1768476749](javascript:;)