Barcelona tops Europe as Real Madrid, PSG trail in academy graduates playing across top five leagues in 2025 | OneFootball

La Masia, the famed academy of FC Barcelona, continues to cement its reputation as one of the most productive football academies in Europe. The Catalan club has long reaped the benefits of a system that consistently produces world-class talent, helping the club both on the pitch and during times of financial difficulty.

According to a study by the CIES Football Observatory, published by L’Équipe (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Barcelona is the club that contributed the most academy graduates to Europe’s top five leagues in 2025.

A total of 40 players who spent at least three years at La Masia between the ages of 15 and 21 played in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, or Ligue 1 last year. Of these, 10 appeared for Barcelona’s first team, including standout talents such as Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, Fermin Lopez, Dro Fernandez, Dani Olmo, and Jofre Torrents.

This figure puts Barcelona ahead of its eternal rival, Real Madrid, which has 35 graduates across the top leagues, followed by Paris Saint-Germain with 31.

Stade Rennais ranks fourth with 29, a notable achievement given the club’s recent progress, as its graduates accumulated more minutes than PSG players over the past year.

Ajax rounds out the top five with 27. Other clubs in the top ten include Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Real Sociedad.

The report also highlights that clubs with a strong local identity, such as Barcelona, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Club, are more likely to field players from their own academies.

Barcelona and Real Madrid, sitting first and second, show two different ways of using a successful academy. While many La Masia graduates get a chance in the first team, most graduates from Castilla are sold on and make a career for themselves elsewhere.

With its unmatched contribution to European football, La Masia remains a cornerstone of Barcelona’s sporting and cultural identity. The academy’s output shows no sign of slowing, and fans can hope that it will continue to nurture talent for years to come.