Benfica top of the world elite, leaving Sporting and Porto in the shade | OneFootball

Benfica was voted the best youth academy in the world. According to CIES, an organization that conducts studies on football, among the 49 main leagues worldwide, the Eagles are the club that has produced the most active players currently playing, whether at Luz or at other clubs.

However, the ranking was not based solely on the number of active footballers. In addition, the Football Observatory analyzed the level of the clubs where these athletes are currently playing, as well as the minutes played by all of them throughout the last season (2024/25).

According to the data collected, CIES awarded the top spot to Benfica, which last year had 93 players, trained at the Glorious, actively playing. Based on the calculations, on average, each footballer with the 'made in Seixal' stamp accumulated a total of 2,582 minutes on the pitch.

With these numbers, Benfica holds a significant lead over the second-placed team in the ranking, Barcelona. The Catalan club – which owes debts to the Eagles – trails behind Benfica, with only 76 academy-trained players (an average of 2,773 minutes). River Plate, the historic Argentine club, completes the podium with 96 players and an average of 2,305 minutes.

On the other hand, the Club of Luz is not the only Portuguese club featured in this CIES ranking. According to the same study, Sporting appears in 6th place, with 76 footballers and an average of 2,488 minutes played. Porto occupies the 59th spot, with 38 players (an average of 2,602 minutes).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.