Nota de Prensa
LUN 27.10.2025
LALIGA has presented an analysis of the economic and sporting value of its clubs' youth academies and home-grown players in recent years. The analysis shows the upward trend in the value of youth players, which at €1460 million is ahead of the other major European leagues. It is also the competition that retains the most talent: it gives its home-grown players the highest number of minutes, 19.8% throughout the 24/25 season, a figure that also leads Europe. The conclusions position youth academies as a strategic pillar of LALIGA: a sustainable model that drives efficiency on the pitch and in the bottom line, consolidating LALIGA as a global benchmark in talent development. Leagues, clubs and federations in countries such as Iraq, China and regions such as Latin America have approached the Spanish organisation seeking knowledge exchange and advice on football development.
The analysis places LALIGA as the competition with the highest total market value of youth players in Europe, reaching €1460 million. This figure comfortably exceeds the Premier League (€1070 million), the Bundesliga (€960 million), Serie A (€890 million) and Ligue 1 (€760 million). In the last transfer window (summer 2025), Spanish clubs generated €289 million in transactions related to local talent, a historic record that confirms the success of the strategy.
The report shows that, in the last five years, the proportion of revenue from transfers of players trained in LALIGA's youth academies has grown from 27% to 45%, an increase that currently places it well above the other major European leagues (Bundesliga, 31%; Serie A, 28%; Ligue 1, 26%; Premier League, 22%). Furthermore, the effect is systemic, which can be seen when Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are excluded from the data: the figure for sales of home-grown players barely varies from 45% to 43%, evidence of a structural trend throughout the LALIGA ecosystem where the work of medium-sized clubs is key.
On the other hand, this does not have a negative impact on talent retention. In addition to the economic value of home.grown players in LALIGA, it is also the league that gives the most opportunities to its youth academies’ players, with 19.8% of minutes played in the 2024/25 season, compared to 13.5% in Ligue 1, 7% in the Bundesliga, 6.4% in the Premier League and 5.5% in Serie A. These figures consolidate Spanish football as the environment that best integrates its own talent, combining sporting performance and economic sustainability.
"The data confirms LALIGA's undisputed leadership in global grassroots football: investing in grassroots football generates sporting and economic returns. The youth academy is a strategic asset for our clubs and a hallmark of Spanish football. Spain trains better, retains more and sells at a higher value, and does so in a sustainable manner. Our goal now is to consolidate and scale this model and continue sharing knowledge with international football entities seeking more competitive grassroots football around the world, taking elements and ideas from our model," says Juan Florit, Head of Football Projects at LALIGA.
This approach brings competitive advantages: it offers greater profitability and raises sporting performance, while protecting the competitive identity of the league, turning youth academies into its Collective Brand. In addition, the Spanish competitive system encourages the accumulation of experience from an early age: young players can reach professional football with up to 500 official matches played in the lower categories. Spain can also boast a level of excellence in its coaches, from grassroots to professional football, a key aspect for success.
Added to this is the fact that 91% of youth players are Spanish nationals, which aligns identity and sustainability and contributes to the performance of the national teams, which in recent years (2014-2024) have won the highest number of international competitions in all categories (16 championships and 14 runner-up positions), followed by Germany (11 and 6) and France (6 and 5), as well as winning 4 of the last 5 Kopa Trophies and men's and women's Ballon d'Or awards in recent years.
The main reason for this momentum has been the commitment and work of the clubs to this model. In addition, the policies that have set the trend in recent years are varied, but some LALIGA instruments, such as the National Plan for the Improvement and Optimisation of Youth Academies and others, such as the Boost LALIGA Plan and regulatory adjustments that make the registration of youth players more flexible in the economic control rules, contribute to an environment of strategic planning and measurable results. Far from being a short-term response, they are part of a long-term structural policy.
Exporting knowledge: international football knocks on LALIGA's door
International demand for the Spanish model is growing. Leagues and federations in Europe, Asia and America have requested consultancy services or specific training on football development, with excellent results. In Iraq, collaboration with the local federation has grown in two years from a weak base to 174 registered youth teams, consolidating an emerging competitive structure.
Other countries, such as China, are committed to a comprehensive transformation of their model, bringing it closer to the sustainable ecosystem of LALIGA. To this end, it has approached the Spanish organisation and collaboration agreements have already been established between LALIGA and the CFL (professional league) and CFA (federation), including knowledge exchange, training for youth academy directors and coaches, and even the appointment of Javier Tebas as the CFL's first international advisor.
LALIGA will continue to promote comprehensive training programmes, talent scouting and development, coach training and international consulting projects, with the aim of exporting best practices and strengthening the sustainability of global football.
© LALIGA - 2025