Becoming a professional soccer player takes years of dedication, practice, and determination. There’s no easy route for a potential player, and they will have to devote countless hours to harnessing their skills before they can be considered for a pro position on a well-known team.
Practising at home or at school with friends is a good way of building a foundation for a young player, but there are some limitations here that might not be enough to propel them to their full potential. One way of getting past these limitations is by sending them off to a soccer academy.
These are specialised schools that can help a talented youth find their true calling on the field, giving them the foundational stepping stones they need to eventually find themselves playing as a professional. With that in mind, these are some of the best soccer academies in the world right now.
Southampton F.C. Academy
Southampton F.C. Academy is one of the newest soccer schools in the world, offering best in class training facilities, as well as some of the best tutors that money can buy. Overseen by Les Reed, executive director of football at the South Coast Club, the academy has already made big waves in the world of soccer training.
The many programs that they offer are focussed on finding the best young talent on the scene and giving them the chance to work on their skills.
Academia Sporting
This massive complex can be found just outside the capital city of Lisbon and has earned itself quite a name for training many of the best soccer players of the generation, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.
It offers modern training facilities, as well as state-of-the-art recovery programs to ensure that all students are receiving nothing but the best. The academy has earned a number of awards of the years thanks to its ethical training regimes, many of which gave rise to none other than famous Portuguese player Luis Figo. Any young player that is selected to be a part of Academia Sporting will no doubt become a professional at one point or another.
La Masia
La Masia is a well-known training facility that can be found in Barcelona, and it’s earned itself an extremely good reputation thanks to its brilliant training programs that provide a comprehensive start to young players.
It’s focused on technical skill in particular, and trainers work hard to ensure that anyone attending the academy has nothing but the best on offer, and it’s often been enough to kickstart a player into legendary status. One famous player that trained at La Masia is none other than Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the best football player in the world, popular enough to even feature in popular media, such as those seen when people play Roulette Canada games online.
AFX Ajay Youth Academy
Where the other schools train players, the AFX Ajay Youth Academy is known for producing highly skilled teams.
It’s one of the oldest in the world and boasts a true pedigree in training that few others are able to match. The academy is behind the Amsterdam Giants, who have won European football events four times.
