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Benfica has been ranked as the world's most profitable academy, with Nigerian academies nowhere to be found.
Portuguese powerhouse Benfica has emerged as the most profitable football academy in the world, raking in over half a million euros from player sales over the last ten years.
Meanwhile, Pulse Sports can report that Nigerian clubs were conspicuously missing from the rankings, highlighting the growing gap between European and African youth development systems.
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19:13 - 05.01.2024
Victor Osimhen and Boniface ranked behind Saka, Kvaratskhelia in 100 most valuable players list
Nigerian Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen and Victor Boniface made the list of most valuable players in the World, with Bukayo Saka and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia included.
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15:29 - 22.12.2023
Newcastle Utd and Man United ranked tallest PL teams, German clubs rule Big 5 leagues
Ranking clubs according to the average size of their line-ups fielded in the current or last season sees Newcastle United and Manchester United coming tops in the Premier League.
Benfica reign supreme
This report follows a study conducted by the reliable statistical outfit, CIES Football Observatory, in their latest global issue.
According to the report, CIES analysed and put together a list of the top 100 academies in the world based on transfer revenues generated.
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This research also considered the transfers of players who spent at least three seasons at the clubs between the ages of 15 and 21.
Benfica topped the charts having raked in €516 million, two-thirds of which the club has generated in the last five years.
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Some of the players who helped Benfica to the top of the chart include homegrown superstars like Joao Felix, who left for Atletico Madrid for a fee of around €120 million in 2018.
Others are Manchester City’s duo of Ederson and Bernardo Silva and Chelsea’s £106 million star, Enzo Fernandez, etc.
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Outside of Europe, it’s not a surprise to see two clubs from Brazil and Argentina finish high up on the table.
Flamengo and River Plate were ranked as the 13th and 14th most profitable club academies in the world, with €228 million and €223 million respectively.
Nigerian clubs missing
While other European giants like Ajax, Olympique Lyonnais, Real Madrid, and Chelsea and their South American counterparts fill out the top 20, Nigerian and African academies were left behind chasing shadows.
This comes despite Nigeria’s reputation for producing global stars like Austin Jay Jay Okocha, and John Obi Mikel from the past to present superstars, Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, and Gift Orban.
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With the success of its academy, Benfica continue to show and lead the way when it comes to youth development.
In Nigeria, while NPFL side Remo Stars appear to be learning and heading in the right direction, more is needed in terms of investment and training facilities to ensure Nigerian clubs begin to compete favourably or players will continue to bypass domestic academies altogether.
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