A new study has ranked the 100 best academies in world football. Every world-class player starts somewhere, and the academy where they hone their craft at a young age can make or break how their professional career pans out.
Football - and sport in general - demands dedication from grassroots level, and those formative years in academies around the globe often determine a player’s path. While Manchester United’s Carrington Academy, Barcelona’s famed La Masia, and the production line at Jong Ajax are regularly hailed for producing gold dust, there are also plenty of talent factories that don’t always get the recognition they deserve.
As is done each year, the CIES Football Observatory identified the clubs that trained players currently active in 49 leagues worldwide to establish a ranking of the best academies. The study presents the top 100 according to a training index, which factors in the number of players trained, the level of the clubs they played for last year, and the official game minutes logged over the same period.
100-91
Alessandro Bastoni celebrates
If there was ever any proof of just how many brilliant academies exist in football today, it’s that 2024 Europa League winners Atalanta rank all the way down at 93rd, joined by the likes of Villarreal, Basel, Braga, and Chilean giants Colo-Colo. Among the 25 current players still active who graduated from Atalanta's Dedicata a Mino Favini - named in honour of the renowned youth mentor Mino Favini - are none other than Alessandro Bastoni and Manchester United fan favourite Amad Diallo.
Le Havre sit at the very bottom of the pile in 100th place, yet they boast a proud history of nurturing future superstars before letting them spread their wings in far less humble surroundings. The northern French port city can claim to have launched the careers of Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet, Lassana Diarra, and Steve Mandanda - though in recent years, bigger Ligue 1 clubs have stolen a march on them.
Best Football Academies (100-91)
Rank
100
99
98
97
96
95
94
93
92
91
90-81
Savinho in action for Manchester City
Inter Milan and Juventus also feature among the lower-ranked talent factories, which might suggest that Serie A clubs are more adept at wheeling and dealing in the transfer market than relying on homegrown stars. That said, players like Kenan Yildiz, Dean Huijsen, and Federico Dimarco would probably beg to differ.
Elsewhere, Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor and 20-time Peruvian champions Sporting Cristal serve as reminders that a club’s reputation and facilities aren’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to shaping successful careers. While neither side has produced a global superstar, they can proudly point to 57 and 56 players respectively who are currently playing professionally. Meanwhile, Atletico Mineiro are the first Brazilian side to make the list, sitting 81st, with their standout success story being Manchester City wonderkid Savinho.
Best Football Academies (90-81)
Rank
90
89
88
87
86
85
84
83
82
81
80-71
Curtis Jones and Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool, England’s most successful football club, have long upheld a proud tradition of trusting in youth. Think of Steven Gerrard - born and bred with the red of Merseyside running through his veins - who carved out a legendary career for the Reds to become one of their best-ever players. In more recent years, the club has distilled talents like Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Premier League’s highest-assisting defender, and the ever-reliable Curtis Jones.
“Klopp’s Kids” made headlines when Jurgen Klopp ended the 2024 League Cup final with five players aged 21 or under on the pitch in a victory over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium. Yet, despite that commitment to youth, Liverpool rank only 75th - making them the lowest-rated Premier League academy among those featured in the top 100.
Still, they sit above AS Monaco, famed for producing World Cup winners like Kylian Mbappe, though they surprisingly trail European minnows such as MSK Zilina in Slovakia and FK Vojvodina in Serbia - a ranking that feels, to many, a touch harsh.
Best Football Academies (80-71)
Rank
80
79
78
77
76
75
74
73
72
71
70-61
Martin Zubimendi
Xabi Alonso, Mikel Arteta, Andoni Iraola, and Unai Emery - the Basque Country continues to be a fertile breeding ground for top-class managers, and Real Sociedad’s ‘La Cantera’ is proving it can also nurture some of Spain’s most exciting young players. Martin Zubimendi was pursued by both Real Madrid and Liverpool last season before opting to join Arsenal instead, while Mikel Oyarzabal remains a name English fans would rather forget after his late winner in the 86th minute of the Euro 2024 final.
Meanwhile, Antoine Griezmann has continued to age like fine wine at his beloved Atletico Madrid, who also feature prominently in this segment. Rodri stands out as the crown jewel among Diego Simeone’s former protégés, but Atletico’s ability to hold on to homegrown talent is just as impressive - still boasting Koke, Giuliano Simeone, and Pablo Barrios, all of whom have risen through the academy ranks to play regular Champions League football.
Best Football Academies (70-61)
Rank
70
69
68
67
66
65
64
63
62
61
60-51
man utd marcus rashford
Some heavy-hitters appear around the midway point of the study. Manchester United’s Carrington academy once produced the kind of talent that perfectly fuelled Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign of dominance, ensuring the Scot was always armed with fresh young stars to keep the good times rolling.
While the operation may not be as prolific these days, unearthing diamonds like Marcus Rashford and last season’s Serie A MVP, Scott McTominay, proves that the Red Devils would be wise to keep a close eye on what’s happening in their own backyard. United’s conveyor belt ranks 55th, with Bayern Munich two places higher in 53rd. Jamal Musiala - valued at over £120 million - does much of the heavy lifting for the German giants, though Karim Adeyemi also stands as a fine example of Bavaria’s knack for developing top-tier talent.
Elsewhere, Feyenoord’s academy lives by its motto, “Getting Better Every Day,” reflecting a tailored program that balances footballing excellence with personal growth. The club scouts young talents from local Rotterdam amateur teams starting at U8 level, expanding its reach to Belgium and Scandinavia for older age groups (U12+). It’s a cornerstone of Dutch football development, and the fact that 47 current professionals came through Feyenoord’s ranks shows that their philosophy is delivering positive results.
Best Football Academies (60-51)
Rank
60
59
58
57
56
55
54
53
52
51
50-41
Reece James Chelsea
Chelsea’s biggest issue is their reckless belief that signing new players is better than trusting the process at Cobham - a production line that continues to bear fruit year after year. Since Todd Boehly’s takeover three years ago, the club has signed nearly fifty players, yet they could have fielded a team featuring Michael Olise, Declan Rice, and Marc Guehi for a fraction of the cost had they shown a little more patience and foresight.
Arsenal, by contrast, are a stronger example of a club that recognises the talent already at their fingertips. Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, and Myles Lewis-Skelly have all become key figures under Mikel Arteta. That said, the Gunners also learned a tough lesson with Eberechi Eze - paying a hefty price to bring him back to his boyhood club after letting him go too soon in his youth over concerns about his defensive work and tracking back.
Best Football Academies (50-41)
Rank
50
49
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40-31
Neymar-Santos
A young Neymar at Santos
Brazil rule the roost in this section. Fluminense produced Premier League striking duo Joao Pedro and Evanilson; SC Internacional laid the foundations for Alisson’s Champions League-winning career with Liverpool; Cruzeiro can boast 43 players worldwide who have each logged over 3,000 minutes of playing time; and Gremio have gone one better, producing 55.
The most famous example of a Brazilian club nurturing a world-class superstar, however, remains Santos and Neymar - arguably the best footballer of his generation not named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. His £192 million transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 still stands as the most expensive in football history, proving that when it comes to producing talent, Brazil - the five-time World Cup winners - truly has the Midas touch.
Best Football Academies (40-31)
Rank
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
30-21
phil foden
One of Manchester City’s secret ingredients for long-term success under Pep Guardiola has been their clockwork-like academy, which has produced talents such as Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, and Morgan Rogers in recent years. That said, aside from Foden - who has been instrumental in helping the Cityzens win six league titles in the past eight years - the club, like Chelsea, has a habit of letting its young stars slip through the net too easily.
PSV Eindhoven serve as another fine example of Dutch clubs taking meticulous care in nurturing raw talent, with 48 of their current graduates including Cody Gakpo, Noni Madueke, and Memphis Depay. Astonishingly, Argentina’s Newell’s Old Boys have 69 graduates currently plying their trade across world football, though their combined playing time of 2,125 minutes this year suggests they’re no longer crafting the creme de la creme of talent - as they once did with Lionel Messi all those years ago.
Best Football Academies (30-21)
Rank
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20-11
Warren Zaire-Emery in action for PSG
Warren Zaire-Emery in action for PSG
After years of near misses, last season saw PSG finally abandon the belief that cramming a lineup full of big names would deliver their first Champions League title. Instead, under Luis Enrique, they placed their faith in youth - and it paid off spectacularly. Warren Zaire-Emery became a trusted regular in the side that steamrolled Inter Milan 5-0 in last season’s final, while newcomer Senny Mayulu looks every bit a chip off the old block as the 18-year-old works to make his breakthrough this campaign.
Another Brazilian club earning recognition in the study is 18th-placed Palmeiras, whose former youth prospects Estevao and Endrick could soon prove to be among the best footballers on the planet if they live up to their sky-high expectations. Elsewhere, Flamengo rank 15th and Corinthians 14th. The highest-ranked Brazilian side, however, is Sao Paulo, whose 65 graduates include Manchester United outcast Antony - now thriving at Real Betis.
Best Football Academies (20-11)
Rank
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10-1
Pedri
As seen above, Red Star Belgrade come in at 11th, having produced 21 more players than Real Madrid, who are in ninth. However, the gulf in class is made evident by the fact that, while the Serbian champions - who used to feed the rest of Europe with impeccable talent during their time as Yugoslvia before the turn of the century - boast Andrija Maksimovic, La Fabrica's list of graduates include the best right-back in world football in the form of Achraf Hakimi.
Boca Juniors, somewhat surprisingly, doesn't own Argentina's best football academy, as nobody in world football has produced more footballers than River Plate, who have a remarkable 97 graduates playing across the globe. For that reason, they even place above Ajax. But perhaps the most surprising discovery from the whole study is that Barcelona's La Masia isn't top - its second.
Instead, it's Benfica, for a second successive year, that ranks top. Joao Neves is a particular highpoint, while they have also nurtured the likes of Ruben Dias, Goncalo Ramos, Bernardo Silva, and Joao Cancelo.
Best Football Academies (100-91)
Rank
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1