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Football is built from the ground up, starting with children who dream of becoming the next Messi, Cristiano, Lamine, or Mbappé. In Spain, this is well understood, as the country’s clubs lead global rankings in youth development.
According to data from Transfermarkt, seven Spanish teams rank among the twenty clubs that most rely on their academies across the 25 most valuable leagues worldwide. Topping the list, unsurprisingly, is Athletic Club, which sets a record with an average of 41,507 minutes played by academy graduates in the 2025/2026 season.
This statistic is overwhelming. In the TOP-20 clubs that provide the most minutes to homegrown players in the world’s 25 most valuable leagues, seven are Spanish. Moreover, among the major European leagues, Spain almost monopolizes the development model.
At number two is Barcelona, with 27,127 minutes, followed by Celta (25,154), Real Sociedad (21,525), Málaga (19,206), Sporting (14,230), and Real Madrid (14,175 minutes).
Finding talent at a young age is not only a sporting benefit but also an economic one. According to the same portal, Barcelona tops the list of the most valuable academies based on the market value of their graduates. With 311 active players holding market value, La Masía accumulates a total of €1.35 billion. Real Madrid ranks sixth, with €891 million from 348 players. Although the value is lower, La Fábrica produces more talent. According to the CIES Football Observatory, Real Madrid’s academy has supplied more players to the top five leagues over the past 20 years than any other club.
At the top, there is also room for Chelsea, with €1.33 billion (166 players), and Manchester City, with €1.25 billion (178 players).
