Best Football Academies In The World
6) Santos FC Reserves and Academy
One of the greatest players to ever set foot on a football pitch, Pelé was a product of Santos academy. This shows just why it is among the best academies in the world. It is the powerhouse of talent in Brazil. Many of the club’s graduates end up playing for big European clubs including Neymar, Marcelo, Willian, Rodrygo, and Robinho. The management prioritizes not only teaching young footballers how to play good football but also help their students to have good education as well as good health. The academy is responsible for over 100 young athletes in 5 different categories.
5) Sporting C.P. Youth Academy
The academy that trained one of the best talents in the world, none other than the 5 times Ballon d‘Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Not only Ronaldo but they have another Ballon d’Or winner to show for, the one-time winner Luis Figo. Nani, Joao Moutinho, Joao Mario, William Carvalho, and Ricardo Quaresma are other famous academy graduates of the club. The academy is considered to be the hub of talent development in Portugal. Sporting are renowned for having one of the best scouting systems in the whole world. Their facilities are so good that clubs all over Europe chose their academy to train in the season break.
4) Manchester United
A club that focuses very much on youth development by giving them a chance in regular league games, it is pretty much a tradition for them to feature their academy players in these games to give them confidence early on that gives them a head start for being world-class players. The Red Devils have the reputation of being among one of the first clubs to build their team around the academy players and the Class of 92 is a very good example of that which included David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phill Neville, and Ryan Giggs as the academy graduates. Also, in recent times the club has had brilliant academy players playing in the first team including Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba, Scott Mctominay, and Mason Greenwood.