No matter how talented a player is or what abilities they possess, you won't
find them in the world's top leagues without going through several crucial
experiences. The most important of these is being developed, prepared, and
having key football concepts instilled in them at an academy.
Although the idea of clubs benefiting from academy players has diminished
compared to the past, the role of academies remains essential and
indispensable. There's no escaping that first step of preparing and moulding a
player within the walls of an academy.
So, as we discuss academies, what are the most famous academies worldwide?
Let's find out together in this article from the Goal Reader blog.
La Masia Barcelona Academy
One of the fundamental and undisputed facts in football is that Barcelona's
academy, known as La Masia, is the most famous and prominent academy in the
world. It's the most prolific source of exceptional talent for global
football.
La Masia, thanks to its prevailing football philosophy of instilling the
concept of total football in its players and equipping them with ideas for
working as a unified team, has managed to produce several players who later
became some of the best in the beautiful game's history.
La Masia's greatest pride, and the most prominent proof of its ability to
develop talents in an incredible way, is the Argentinian legend Lionel Messi.
Thanks to the training he received at La Masia, he was able to enhance his
talent, later becoming the best football player in history from some
perspectives.
La Fábrica Real Madrid Academy
The rivalry between eternal rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona isn't limited to
the first team level. It extends to the academies as well, with competition
between Barcelona's La Masia and Real Madrid's La Fábrica over which can
produce the best talents.
La Fábrica, established 96 years ago, may not have been able to produce the
same level of legends as its main rival La Masia, but it has proven its
ability to produce several talents who have made their mark on the world
stage.
Spanish striker Álvaro Morata, who has proven his attacking capabilities in
various world-class leagues, current Real Madrid right-back Carvajal,
considered by some as the best in his position in the club's history, and the
team's current utility player, Uruguayan Federico Valverde, are all products
of La Fábrica.
Ajax Academy
Unfortunately for those running the Ajax academy, the Dutch league doesn't
receive much media attention in European football. Therefore, the spotlight on
the talents produced by the Dutch team's academy is very dim.
However, it's widely acknowledged that the Dutch were the most important in
establishing the concept of total football in world football. The late Dutch
legend Johan Cruyff deserves the most credit for the success of La Masia,
which we discussed earlier.
This venerable academy, founded 124 years ago, has produced several players
who later became prominent with various European teams, such as Dutch
goalkeeping legend Edwin van der Sar.
Dutch attacking legend Marco van Basten is also a product of the Ajax academy,
alongside midfield maestro Clarence Seedorf. This is in terms of the past.
As for the present, academy graduates include Manchester United's Danish
international midfielder Christian Eriksen, as well as Bayern Munich's Dutch
defender Matthijs de Ligt.
Lyon Academy
The lack of media attention for the domestic league and its negative impact on
highlighting Ajax's academy is no different when discussing the French club
Lyon's academy, which has managed to produce players who now enjoy immense
stardom in world football.
Lyon hasn't been able to benefit optimally from its academy players, as the
team is known to be among the mid-table teams in the French league. On the
continental level, Lyon is currently absent from competing with the top teams
in Erupe.
The French academy has managed to produce several players who are considered
elite stars in the football world, most notably the French legend Karim
Benzema, who is considered the first academy player to win the Ballon d'Or,
and likely the last.
Former Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti and French striker Anthony Martial are
also stars produced by the academy.
Carrington Manchester United Academy
With the constellation of stars present in English football, it's difficult
for talents coming from academies to prove themselves. However, the Carrington
academy of Manchester United has played a crucial role in producing several
players for various world-class teams.
Man united's attacking star and England international Marcus Rashford,
as well as the famous French midfielder Paul Pogba, in addition to the iconic
English star David Beckham, all received their football education at the Red
Devils' academy.
Borussia Dortmund Academy
Dortmund is known for always being a source of players for other world-class
teams, most notably Bayern Munich. If we look for the most important current
players in several teams, we'll find that they passed through Dortmund,
foremost among them the English gem Jude Bellingham, who's shining with Real
Madrid.
German attacking legend Marco Reus is one of the stars produced by the BVB
training grounds, as well as Mario Götze, who scored the winning goal for
Germany in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil.