India is next for FC Porto’s international expansion strategy | OneFootball

FC Porto continues its commitment to international expansion with the opening of a new Dragon Force by FC Porto academy in Bengaluru, India, in partnership with the Alchemy International Football Academy.

FC Porto president André Villas-Boas says that “this new project represents another solid step in the club’s internationalization process, bringing FC Porto’s identity, methodology and values to one of the most promising football markets in the world.”

With this Dragon Force structure, FC Porto is now present in India through a long-term development project, with the goal of training young talent, empowering coaches and managers, and actively contributing to the sustainable growth of football in the country.

The Bengaluru operation will be based at the modern Center for Sports Excellence, one of India’s leading sports infrastructures, widely recognized for its outstanding conditions for athlete training and development. This setting reinforces, from the outset, the quality, professionalism and ambition of the project.

The choice of Bengaluru is strategic. Recognized as one of India’s main hubs of innovation and development, the city offers ideal conditions for launching a project with high growth potential and long-term impact. The intention is to create a solid foundation in the city and, at a later stage, gradually expand the presence to other regions, reaching a growing number of young athletes across the country.

Founded in 2013, the Alchemy International Football Academy is a benchmark in grassroots and youth football development in India, having pioneered the introduction of international-standard training methodologies in the country. The academy was ranked the No. 1 International Football Academy in India for nine consecutive years by the AIFF and received a 4-star rating in the AIFF Academy Accreditation for 2025/26, reinforcing its leadership position in the sector.

Alchemy International Football Academy president Sunanda Das says that “it is a great honour to establish this partnership with FC Porto.”

“We believe this collaboration will significantly raise the standards of football development in India. Dragon Force by FC Porto brings a world-class methodology and a clear development vision that will benefit not only the players, but the entire football ecosystem in India,” she says.

According to Ricardo Frey-Ramos, Dragon Force director, “this partnership with the Alchemy International Football Academy is the result of a shared vision and strong strategic alignment between both institutions. We strongly believe in the country’s potential and in our ability to build, together with Alchemy, a solid, sustainable project with a real impact on football development. Our objective is clear: to create strong foundations in Bengaluru and, in the medium term, expand to other cities, reaching more and more young players and consistently contributing to the growth of football in India and the creation of new opportunities.”

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