FC BARCELONA
Barça's La Masia, second best football academy in the world
Published New:23/10/2025 - 22:28h
Updated New:23/10/2025 - 22:28h
The CIES Observatory's annual report places FC Barcelona as the second-best youth academy on the planet, behind only Benfica.
FC Barcelona's La Masia continues to be a global benchmark in the training of young footballers. The Barça academy occupies the second position in the annual ranking of the prestigious CIES Football Observatory. The study, based on objective data from 49 international leagues, has crowned Benfica's academy as the best in the world in 2025.
The report analyzes criteria such as the number of players trained, the level of the teams where they currently play, and the minutes played in official competitions. Despite not leading the ranking, Barça maintains an elite training profile, far exceeding most of the academies analyzed in individual performance.
La Masia, synonymous with identity and footballing excellence
The history of La Masia goes beyond the numbers. Names like Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Busquets, and Piqué have forged a recognizable identity based on associative play, technique, and tactical intelligence. Currently, players like Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí, Fermín López, and Gavi represent the new generation of a model that continues to be admired globally.
In recent years, the Catalan club has opted to maintain its formative essence, despite market demands and pressure for immediate results. The current coaching staff, led by Hansi Flick, continues to rely on talents emerging from the youth academy, gradually integrating them into the first team.
Benfica Crowned as the Best Global Youth Academy
With 93 trained players active in clubs around the world, Benfica takes first place. The Lisbon club not only dominates in volume, but also in competitiveness and visibility: its players are spread across high-level leagues and add up to a significant number of minutes in the last year.
| # | Club | Country | PLAYERS | MIN | LEVEL | IND |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benfica | Portugal | 93 | 2.582 | 0.807 | 105.1 |
| 2 | Barcelona | Spain | 76 | 2.773 | 0.875 | 98.7 |
| 3 | River Plate | Argentina | 97 | 2.305 | 0.805 | 98.3 |
| 4 | Ajax | Holland | 80 | 2.690 | 0.841 | 97.6 |
| 5 | Boca Juniors | Argentina | 86 | 2.516 | 0.808 | 95.0 |
| 6 | Sporting CP | Portugal | 76 | 2.488 | 0.811 | 83.4 |
| 7 | D. Zagreb | Croatia | 77 | 2.532 | 0.732 | 77.9 |
| 8 | Defensor | Uruguay | 88 | 2.222 | 0.726 | 77.0 |
| 9 | Real Madrid | Spain | 58 | 2.817 | 0.853 | 74.8 |
| 10 | Vélez | Argentina | 70 | 2.406 | 0.805 | 73.8 |
- Data: JUG: players, MIN: minutes; NIV: level; IND: Index. SOURCE: CIES Football Observatory
FC Barcelona's second place is supported by 76 trained footballers, a remarkable figure that is accompanied by a club level index of 0.87 and an average of 2,773 minutes per player. These data confirm the qualitative weight of La Masía, whose production continues to nourish the first team and world-renowned clubs.
River Plate completes the podium, with a strong South American presence
Completing the podium is River Plate, another giant in the formation of young talent. The Argentinian club confirms its inexhaustible capacity to generate footballers who end up succeeding in the main leagues of the planet. After them, Sporting of Portugal, Ajax, and Real Madrid complete a top 10 dominated by academies with a long history and international prestige.
The CIES report also highlights the strong presence of South American clubs in the top 100. Argentina (15 clubs) and Brazil (11) lead the list by country, which reaffirms the importance of grassroots football in the continent's footballing identity and culture.
