Training clubs’ world ranking
As every year in October, the CIES Football Observatory presents a global ranking of the best training clubs* based on the number of players from their academies currently active in 49 top division leagues, the sporting level of the matches in which they participated over the past year, their playing time during the same period, and their age (the younger, the better).
SL Benfica recorded the highest training index (101.3 with 93 footballers trained). Argentina’s River Plate (training index of 95.9 and 94 academy graduates) and Boca Juniors (91.7 and 93 respectively) round out the top three. AFC Ajax is fifth, just behind Vélez Sarsfield and ahead FC Barcelona. The top 10 also includes Portugal’s Sporting CP, Spain’s Real Madrid, Uruguay’s Defensor SC, and Serbia’s Crvena Zvezda.
As for the clubs that have trained the most players currently employed by teams from Europe’s five major leagues, Real Madrid (40 players) outranks FC Barcelona (34), Manchester City (29), Stade Rennais (28), Paris Saint-Germain and AFC Ajax (both 27). Athletic Club (15) and Real Sociedad (14) are the big-5 league clubs with the most academy players in their current squad.
>>> Full rankings
* Training clubs are defined as the first teams in which footballers have played for at least three years between the seasons of their 15th and 21st birthdays (inclusive).
>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect : Sondre Granaas.
