- by croatiaweek
- October 23, 2025
-
in
Sport
Dinamo Zagreb
The CIES Football Observatory has once again revealed its annual ranking of football academies producing the most professional players active across the world’s leagues.
Once again, Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb continues to be ranked among the world’s elite.
The International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) analysed 49 leagues around the world, assessing clubs through a training index that considers the number of academy-trained players currently active, the level of the clubs they played for last season, and the total minutes those players spent on the pitch in official matches.
Benfica Leads the Way
For the second year running, Benfica tops the global list. The Portuguese powerhouse has 93 academy-trained players active across the 49 leagues studied, with an average club level score of 0.81 and an average of 2,582 minutes played in official matches over the past year.
Barcelona ranks second with 76 players and a higher average club level of 0.87, while River Plate from Argentina completes the top three, boasting 97 players currently active and an average of 2,305 minutes played.
Dinamo Zagreb among top
Croatia’s own Dinamo Zagreb continues to uphold its reputation as one of the world’s best football academies, ranked 7th.
According to the report, 77 players who came through Dinamo’s youth system are currently active abroad, in countries such as Italy, Germany, and Cyprus.
The CIES defines a “training club” as one where players have spent at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21, underscoring the importance of long-term player development.
The top 10 includes several familiar names alongside Dinamo Zagreb: Sporting CP, Real Madrid, Boca Juniors, Vélez Sarsfield, Ajax, and Defensor from Uruguay.
In total, clubs from 30 countries made the top 100 list. Argentina leads the way with 15 clubs, followed by Brazil with 11.
(CIES/Screenshot)
The findings highlight not only the enduring strength of South American football academies but also the consistent quality of European youth development, with Dinamo Zagreb once again placing Croatia firmly on the global football map.
