La Masia
The world's foremost football production line.
via Wikipedia: La Masia · see source
La Masia is the youth academy of FC Barcelona. It includes more than 300 young players and has been an instrumental factor in Barcelona's European success, producing several world class players and is considered the best youth system in world football.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- La Masia - Oriol Tort Education Center
- Owner
- FC Barcelona
- City
- Barcelona
- Country
- Spain
- Established
- 1978
Lore & Background
In 2010, La Masia became the first youth academy to have trained all three finalists for the Ballon d'Or in a single year: Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi. The first team won the Champions League in 2009 with eight home-grown players.
Reader's Guide
La Masia is one of the most expensive academies in Europe to run, operating at a cost to the club of €15 million a year as of 2013. The best 200 are selected. The club employs 15 scouts in Catalonia, 15 in the rest of Spain and 10 scattered throughout the world. Barcelona B and the 12 other youth teams contained 24 coaches and more than 300 players.
Did You Know?
- From 1979 to 2009, 440 youngsters have left their homes and families to stay at the academy. Of those, 40 made it into Barcelona's first team.
- On 25 November 2012, for the first time, Barcelona fielded all eleven players that have come up through La Masia in a La Liga match.
- Spain won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with seven players from Barcelona in a World Cup final.
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