Can this prove that Sporting's academy is the best in the World?

Cheers

Well maybe not the best, but defo one of the best at the very least.

Dont know mate 49 French born players are participating to world cup with different nations.
Also big teams doesn’t have enough space to sign pro their youngsters, for Barca example many are formed until 17 yo then tend to sign their first pro Contract elsewhere.
In addition to the fact that World Cup places are very difficult for some countries to get like Spain where Cesc and Pedro couldn’t even be part of the list while these players if they had different nationalities would make it to Russia...
Sporting formation center is one of the finest in Europe but this stat cannot show if it’s the best or not...

When Barcelona decides to invest into the academy, they are the best by far.

But yes, Sporting is doing really good right now.

This list doesn't include Ajax, which means that the answer is No.

where are all the german and french clubs btw lol?

Lol, no sign of Arsenal. How ironic.

Tbh this piece of info can't show which is the best academy in the world. Same as list of exported prospects to top 5 leagues, with teams from Balkans and Eastern Europe all over top 20. This graph basically depends on players called up and national teams. Just look at Dinamo Zagreb, club literally produces 70% of good players in Croatia, and 15% of others they produce fail. Interesting to see Deportivo Saprissa there, club I had to google to find some info about.

All of top three in Portugal have great academies, but so do clubs in Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands...

I mean the World Cup is just a biggest global event in football... Only the best players from each country gets to play at a WC. Its not the number of players that an academy producess, but the quality of those players. And, nowadays, the academy that producess the most top players that play for their nation teams is Sporting's academy. Yes, most of them are playing for Portugal nation team, but don't forget that Portugal is "just" the European Champion and 4º in the FIFA world ranking... Not like Costa Rica (Deportivo Saprissa), Croatia (D.Zagreb) or Saudi arabia (Al Ahali), with all do respect, that aren't in the top 15 of the Nation Teams...

@Lodatz what top player have Ajax produced in recent years (still playing)?

Its not the number of players that an academy producess, but the quality of those players.

It is more about that there is no clear way to determine the best academy. Sure, you can write down the best academies but you will never be able to say 'this is the best academy'. Just a step can change player entirely and that academy loses one of players representing - you can't possibly predict the outcome of 18, 19 or 20 year old player nowadays.

Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and other teams produce tons of great talents and are famous for having great academies but they don't appear in list, because they can't win PL/European titles with kids. Plenty of other teams also have fantastic academies but can't allow themselves to put so much young players in fire. It's not unusual. And as you can see, most teams in the list can allow themselves to do that.

Second problem is that players leave young and flop elsewhere. Club can't stop that, you can't count how much players went the wrong path.

Croatia (D.Zagreb)...with all do respect, that aren't in the top 15 of the Nation Teams...

Why?

what top player have Ajax produced in recent years (still playing)?

Not a question for me, but whatever.

Their most recent crop of youngsters: de Ligt, Kluivert, Bergwijn, van de Beek, Dolberg, Riedewald, Bazoer...

Other than that: Tete, Klaassen, Eriksen, Promes, Blind, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Vermaelen, Sneijder, Nigel de Jong, van der Vaart...

Why wouldn't retired players matter btw?

@Croatian: Don't forget Suarez and Ibrahimovic, but thanks for the list. Ajax's academy is incredible.

The diference bettew Sporting's academy and the rest is that Sporting prepare the young players for big matches, big clubs and big leagues. You can't say Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea have a great academies if they don't produces a big number of top players for the PL! Barça, for exemple, have a fantastic academy and they produce a lot of top players and they win the La Liga a lot of times. If you say "Plenty of other teams also have fantastic academies but can't allow themselves to put so much young players in fire" them this mean that their academy isn't preparing the young players for big matches, for big clubs, for big leagues, their for, aren't "fantastic academies". Fantastic academies prepare the players for theme to shine, when the time comes.

Why?
Is FIFA raking... Ask them

Why wouldn't retired players matter btw?
Because we are analysing the top academies nowadays. Not the top academy of the past

PS: "de Ligt, Kluivert, van de Beek, Dolberg, Riedewald, Bazoer, Promes"

I would say that those players are top players, at least right now. They might be in the future, but not now.

Bergwijn is not form Ajax academy. --> PSG

C. Eriksen is not form Ajax academy. --> Odense BK

"Sneijder, Nigel de Jong, van der Vaart"

Past top players. Van der Vaart isnt playing anymore

"Klaassen, Tete, Blind, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Vermaelen"

Yes, this ones are top players.

@Lodatz None of them signed their first pro contract with Ajax though. Zlatan is results of Malmo academy and Suarez is results of Nacional academy.

@Marcos Then shouldn't we look at something like the UEFA Youth League or the player who play in the U21 or U19 national team if we want to know the best academy at the moment? I mean, its ain't because it happen than 10 player from a certain academy are all selected to play for their national team 10 year after leaving said academy that this academy is the best now. It doesn't make any sense.

@Marcos

Barça, for exemple, have a fantastic academy and they produce a lot of top players and they win the La Liga a lot of times

But not with players from their academy, except for the ones who came through a decade ago. We're 10 years on from when Pique, Iniesta, Messi etc became the best team in the world. Who have Barca produced that's worth noting from their academy since then?

Thiago is about the best you can say, and he fled to Bayern to get game time.

I would say that those players are top players, at least right now. They might be in the future, but not now.

But that's why we talk about academies. Because they produce top young talent for the future.

C. Eriksen is not form Ajax academy.

Yes he is. He played 2 years for their youth teams before he ever made the Ajax starting XI.

The diference bettew Sporting's academy and the rest is that Sporting prepare the young players for big matches, big clubs and big leagues.

But that's not true. Most of the teams these players go to are not in the top tier of football. The reason why there are so many in this World Cup is because Sporting's academy draws from so many countries around the world, and so they are the best for their country. They might be playing for their national teams, but unless your national team is France, Brazil, Germany or Spain this is not being in the Big Teams.

Fantastic academies prepare the players for theme to shine, when the time comes.

Which is why if Ajax isn't on this list, then it's a very poor way to judge academy quality. Ajax's academy produces players who shine.

@Lodatz sorry bro but I didnt understand your point. It doesnt make sense what you said...

Well, you can't exactly claim that you can develop players at pro level as well in England as in Portugal, right?

Take a different perspective and imagine Sporting in EPL, surely they wouldn't develop players at such rate as in Portugal. Atleast not ones from their academy. Keep in mind, kids from academy need time to fit in senior level. Harder the level is, harder they will fit. That's why you won't see 17 or 18 year old becoming star in EPL so easy.

Do you think Gelson could break in EPL when coaches would see his end product isn't so good, especially knowing that he will face top quality fullbacks from match day one? His development in England would takr far more time.

them this mean that their academy isn't preparing the young players for big matches, for big clubs, for big leagues, their for, aren't "fantastic academies".

Take example of Chelsea, they can't have as much top level players at Sporting out of academy, but looj st youth results and opinion of people watching youth football more, Chelsea has NOTICEABLY better crop of youth at the moment than Sporting. Number of players exported isn't the best way to prove anything with academies.

I would say that those players are top players, at least right now. They might be in the future, but not now.

That's the point. They produce so much of them. Ylatupa, Jensen, Pinas, Ekkelenkamp, Brobbey, Nunnely, Kenneth Taylor, Naci Unuvar, Sierhuis, Bakker... there's reason why they are considered best academy, and it is pumping out players full of talent at insane rate.

Bergwijn is Ajax product that moved to PSV, Eriksen came to academy and broke through later.

Yes, this ones are top players

And no academy actually produces generation of literally XI future world-class players.

What's wrong with Alderweireld and Vertonghen?

And not all Sporting players are exactly top from that list.

And not all Sporting players are exactly top from that list.

LOOOL 10 are just European Champions... (Rui Patrício, José Fonte, CR7, João Montinho, João Mário, Willliam Carvalho, R. Quaresma, Cédric Soares, Adrien Silva, Nani).
How most top can they be?!

How many Ajax products are European Champions???
ZERO.

If Ajax academy is so good, where is The Netherlands in this World Cup? or in the last Euro?

Ajax don't produces top players anymore, just good players...
Nowadays they don't even came close to the number of top quality players to came out of Sporting's academy...
You like names? I'll give you same names:

• Rafael Leão (https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/5579145/manchester-city-rafael-leao-sporting-lisbon/)
• Matheus Pereira
• Francisco Geraldes
• Domingos Duarte
• Jovane Cabral
• Mama Baldé
• Iuri Medeiros
• João Palhinha

This are just names of the future of Portugal national team.
I bet you don't know any of them, like I didn't knew any of the names you brought out.
Because they are all potencial future top players... Not top players today!

If Sporting was in the EPL, If Sporting kept CR7, If my balls were green, if, if, if...
I don't play the if game. Its not objective!

@Emobot7

Like I said before UEFA Youth League, U21 or U19 players aren't top players yet. They only have potencial to be.

because it happen than 10 player from a certain academy are all selected to play for their national team 10 year after leaving said academy that this academy is the best now

1 - Only CR7, José Fonte and R. Quaresma left the academy more then 10 years ago
2 - Do you really think is a coincidence that 10 of the best portuguese players came out of Sporting academy? Really?
3 - Tell me, in the top 10 nation teams, how many academies have 10 of their academies products in the World Cup?! Only one... Sporting's!
4 - How do you define the best academy nowadays?! What is the best academy of you today, and why?

Rui Patrício, José Fonte, CR7, João Montinho, João Mário, Willliam Carvalho, R. Quaresma, Cédric Soares, Adrien Silva, Nani

You asked for top players, on that list only CR and maybe Patricio are top players, Quaresma one match in a while, Nani maybe 10 years ago.

You can't claim Fonte, Moutinho, Joao Mario, Cedric, Adrien and Nani are actually top players when you doubted Tete (better than Cedric), Alderweireld and Vertonghen (better than every single player on the list) and even Klaassen who was pretty much same quality as Adrien/Mario before moving to PL.

If Ajax academy is so good, where is The Netherlands in this World Cup? or in the last Euro?

Where was Portugal from 2010-2014? Every team has worse generations.

list of Sporting players

Those all aren't that impressive though (maybe few of those who I don't know are good) except Leao. Palhinha, Geraldes, Iuri Medeiros, Matheus Pereira - they all didn't do exactly much last few years. All are quite far from Sporting, except if situation at the club doesn't actually make them wanna stay.

You could find people arguing that Benfica with Tavares, Embolo and Gedson, or Porto with Costa, Pires and Leite have better generation.

And yeah, I knew atleast several.

If Sporting was in the EPL, If Sporting kept CR7, If my balls were green, if, if, if...

But... that's not what I said? I just said that Sporting couldn't allow so much youth players getting real chance in PL, and that isn't if but fact, because if they would try, they'd most likely end in bottom part of the table.

Honestly don't think you understand any single bit of anything I said.