A guide to the 10 best clubs for an FM24 youth-only challenge. From European giants to hidden gems, find your perfect save.
Discover the best clubs in Football Manager 2024 to build a dynasty using only players from your youth academy.
The Ultimate FM24 Challenge: Building a Dynasty with Kids
We’ve all been there. You’ve won the Champions League with a team of superstars bought for eye-watering sums. You’ve dominated the domestic league for a decade. The thrill is starting to fade. You stare at your save file, a collection of trophies and world-class talent, and think, "What now?"
I remember that feeling vividly. It was a cold Tuesday evening, and I was managing a Manchester City side so powerful they could probably win the league on autopilot. The joy was gone. It felt… hollow. I needed a new challenge, something to reignite that "one more season" spark that makes Football Manager so addictive.
That’s when I stumbled upon the Youth-Only Challenge. The rules are simple, yet brutally difficult: you can only field players who have come through your club's own youth academy. No transfers in. Ever. Your success rests entirely on the shoulders of your Head of Youth Development and the lottery of your annual youth intake.
It’s a challenge that forces you to think differently. You become a true developer of talent, a manager who nurtures potential from a tender age, rather than just a chequebook champion. Every wonderkid feels like a personal victory. Every graduate who lifts a trophy for his boyhood club creates a story that money can't buy.
So, if you’re ready to ditch the transfer market and embrace the most rewarding journey in Football Manager, you’re in the right place. I’ve poured hours into scouting, researching, and playing the game to bring you the definitive list of the 10 best clubs to start your very own youth-only dynasty in FM24. Let’s dive in.
What Makes a Great Youth-Only Club?
Before we get to the list, let's quickly break down the key ingredients you should be looking for. It’s not just about having a famous name.
- State-of-the-Art Facilities: This is non-negotiable. You need excellent Youth Facilities, Junior Coaching, and Youth Recruitment to maximise your chances of producing elite talent.
- Financial Stability: Upgrading and maintaining top-tier facilities costs money. A club with a healthy bank balance gives you a massive head start.
- Club Culture: Some clubs have board expectations that align perfectly with this challenge, such as "Develop players using the club's youth system." This makes your life much easier.
- League Reputation: A club in a top league provides a bigger challenge but also greater rewards and more money to reinvest into your youth setup.
The Top 10 Clubs for Your FM24 Youth-Only Challenge
10. Athletic Club (Athletic Bilbao)
- Youth Facilities: 19
- Junior Coaching: 18
- Youth Recruitment: 20
Let's start with the most famous real-world example of a youth-focused philosophy. Athletic Club, from the Basque region of Spain, are renowned for their "Cantera" policy. In Football Manager, this translates to a unique and deeply rewarding save. The club already operates under a Basque-only signing policy, so you’re already part-way to a youth-only mindset.
Why Choose Them?
You are starting with some of the best youth-related infrastructure in the world. A '20' for Youth Recruitment is as good as it gets, meaning you'll have the best possible chance of hoovering up every top Basque prospect. Players like Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet provide a fantastic core of homegrown talent to build around from day one.
The challenge here is unique. While your recruitment network is geographically limited, it's incredibly focused and effective within that region. The board and fans live and breathe this philosophy, so you’ll have their full backing. Your goal isn't just to win; it's to win their way. Taking this team to La Liga and Champions League glory using only Basque players you've developed is, without a doubt, one of the most satisfying achievements in FM.
A Word of Warning:
The limitation is real. If you have a bad youth intake, particularly in a key position, you can't just dip into the transfer market for a temporary fix. You have to be patient, tactically flexible, and trust your system.
9. FC Nordsjælland
- Youth Facilities: 18
- Junior Coaching: 16
- Youth Recruitment: 16
If you're looking for a hipster's choice with a fantastic story, look no further than Denmark's FC Nordsjælland. Their real-life connection to the 'Right to Dream' academy in Ghana is brilliantly modelled in FM24. This gives them a unique edge in youth intakes.
Why Choose Them?
Nordsjælland provides a fantastic blend of Scandinavian and African talent. Your youth intakes will be filled with technically gifted Danish players alongside athletic and skilful prospects from Ghana. This variety makes every youth intake day incredibly exciting. What will you get this year? A towering Danish centre-back or a pacy Ghanaian winger?
The club has a clear, baked-in philosophy of developing and selling players, so the board will be fully on board with your project. You start with excellent facilities and a young, talented squad. The Danish Superliga is a great starting point – competitive enough to be interesting, but not so dominant that you can't break through. Your path is clear: dominate Denmark, then build a team of academy graduates capable of shocking Europe.
8. Red Bull Salzburg
- Youth Facilities: 19
- Junior Coaching: 16
- Youth Recruitment: 18
Forget the energy drink controversy; in the world of football, Red Bull means one thing: elite talent development. Salzburg is the crown jewel of their network, a club designed from the ground up to find, develop, and deploy a specific brand of high-energy, vertical football.
Why Choose Them?
Salzburg is a machine. Their facilities are world-class, and their recruitment network is exceptional, often pulling in top talents from all over the globe. The club's identity is already built around young, hungry players. You’re not just taking over a club; you’re taking over a finely-tuned system.
The Austrian Bundesliga is a league you can dominate relatively quickly, which allows you to focus on the bigger prize: the Champions League. Can you build a team of homegrown heroes that can go toe-to-toe with Europe's elite, all while playing that trademark Red Bull football? The financial backing is also a huge plus, ensuring you can keep your facilities at the pinnacle of modern standards.
7. GNK Dinamo Zagreb
- Youth Facilities: 18
- Junior Coaching: 18
- Youth Recruitment: 18
If you’ve ever built a wonderkid-hunting team, you’ve probably signed a player from Dinamo Zagreb. Modrić, Kovačić, Gvardiol... the list of world-class talent to emerge from their academy is staggering. For a youth-only challenge, why not go directly to the source?
Why Choose Them?
Dinamo offers a fantastic balance. You get elite-level facilities and a proven track record of producing technically superb footballers. The Croatian league provides a perfect testing ground. You'll be the big fish, allowing you to give your best prospects plenty of first-team football from a young age without the intense pressure of a top-five league.
Your mission is twofold: maintain domestic dominance and turn Dinamo into a respected European contender. The challenge lies in holding onto your stars. As you develop world-class players, the big clubs will come circling. In a true youth-only challenge, you can't sell and replace. You have to build a club prestigious enough that your homegrown heroes will want to stay and achieve glory with their boyhood club.
READ ALSO: 10 Best Bargain Players You Can Sign in FM24
6. Sporting CP
- Youth Facilities: 18
- Junior Coaching: 17
- Youth Recruitment: 18
Before Cristiano Ronaldo was CR7, he was a skinny kid from Sporting's famed Alcochete academy. Alongside Luís Figo, Nani, and Rafael Leão, he's a testament to one of the most consistent talent factories in Europe.
Why Choose Them?
Sporting is a Portuguese giant with a rich history and a culture deeply intertwined with youth development. The facilities are superb, and the club consistently produces technically gifted wingers and midfielders. You'll be competing in the dynamic Portuguese Primeira Liga against rivals Benfica and Porto, both of whom also have strong academies, making for a thrilling domestic narrative.
You start with a solid foundation of homegrown talent and the infrastructure to produce more. The goal is to break the domestic dominance of your rivals and re-establish Sporting as Portugal's number one, all while making waves in the Champions League. It’s a classic FM save with a romantic, youth-focused twist.
5. SL Benfica
- Youth Facilities: 19
- Junior Coaching: 18
- Youth Recruitment: 18
We can't mention Sporting without talking about their Lisbon rivals, Benfica. The Benfica Campus at Seixal is a footballing marvel, and it's no surprise they produce a seemingly endless stream of talent, like João Félix, Rúben Dias, and Bernardo Silva.
Why Choose Them?
Benfica arguably has the edge over Sporting in terms of finances and stadium size, giving you a slightly more powerful starting position. Their facilities are second to none, and their recruitment network is vast. The club is a giant of European football, and the board expects success.
This is a challenge for those who want to compete at the highest level from the get-go. While developing youth, you will also be expected to win the league and compete in the latter stages of European competitions. The pressure is on, but the resources are there. Can you be the manager who finally wins a European trophy for Benfica with a team led by Seixal graduates?
4. River Plate
- Youth Facilities: 18
- Junior Coaching: 18
- Youth Recruitment: 20
Let's head to South America, the spiritual home of flair and passion. River Plate in Argentina is a legendary institution known for producing some of the most technically gifted players in history. Think Enzo Francescoli, Ariel Ortega, and more recently, Julián Álvarez.
Why Choose Them?
This save is all about passion and technical brilliance. River Plate boasts a '20' for Youth Recruitment, meaning you get first dibs on the incredible pool of talent in Argentina. The youth intakes here are legendary. You'll be discovering future world-beaters year after year.
The challenge is unique. The finances in Argentina are a world away from Europe's elite. You'll have to be shrewd. The ultimate goal is to dominate South America and win the Copa Libertadores, but the real dream is to build a team so good that your homegrown superstars don't feel the need to move to Europe. It's a battle against the footballing economy, and a truly rewarding one to win.
3. Boca Juniors
- Youth Facilities: 18
- Junior Coaching: 18
- Youth Recruitment: 20
You can't have River without Boca. The other half of the Superclásico rivalry, Boca Juniors, is another colossal force in South American football development. From Maradona to Riquelme to Tevez, Boca is synonymous with players who have grit, determination, and unbelievable talent.
Why Choose Them?
Much like River, Boca offers an incredible production line of talent thanks to its perfect Youth Recruitment score. The atmosphere and narrative of managing Boca are second to none. Taking a team of academy players into the fiery cauldron of La Bombonera for a Superclásico is what FM dreams are made of.
The save offers a similar challenge to managing River Plate. You’re fighting financial constraints while trying to build a continental powerhouse. If you want a save that feels less like a sterile simulation and more like a passionate, heart-on-your-sleeve footballing story, Boca is the club for you.
READ ALSO: 30 Cheap Wonderkids Under £5M in FM24
2. RSC Anderlecht
- Youth Facilities: 18
- Junior Coaching: 18
- Youth Recruitment: 16
Time for a potential surprise. While they may have fallen on harder times recently, Anderlecht's academy remains one of the most respected in Europe. This is the club that gave us Romelu Lukaku, Vincent Kompany, and Youri Tielemans.
Why Choose Them?
This is a restoration project. Anderlecht isn't the dominant force it once was, which makes this save incredibly compelling. You have the foundations of an elite youth setup, but the club needs rebuilding. Your task is to bring back the glory days to the Lotto Park stadium using only homegrown talent.
The Belgian Pro League is competitive, and you'll have to dethrone the likes of Club Brugge and Royal Antwerp. It's a fantastic long-term project. The facilities are there, the history is there, and the potential for a glorious story is massive. This is for the manager who wants to build something from the ground up and put a sleeping giant back on its throne.
1. AFC Ajax
- Youth Facilities: 20
- Junior Coaching: 20
- Youth Recruitment: 19
Was there ever any doubt? When you think of youth development, you think of Ajax. The philosophy of Total Football, the De Toekomst academy, Johan Cruyff... it's all here. Ajax is not just a club; it's an ideology.
Why Choose Them?
Ajax is, simply put, the perfect club for a youth-only challenge. They have perfect scores for Youth Facilities and Junior Coaching. The club's entire ethos is built around the principles of this challenge. The board doesn't just support it; they demand it. You are given every single tool you could possibly need to succeed.
Your youth intakes will be consistently excellent, producing technically perfect players who are ready for the first team from a young age. The Eredivisie allows you to blood these youngsters, and the club's reputation and finances mean you start from a position of immense strength.
The challenge isn't just winning; it's winning with style. Can you create the next great Ajax team? The next '95 Champions League winners? Can you dominate Europe playing beautiful, flowing football with a team composed entirely of graduates from De Toekomst? It's the quintessential youth-only save and an absolute must-try for any Football Manager enthusiast.
Conclusion: Your Legacy Awaits
There you have it – ten incredible clubs ready to be the foundation of your next Football Manager obsession. The youth-only challenge isn't for the impatient. It's a slow burn, a test of your long-term planning, your tactical nous, and your ability to nurture talent.
But the rewards are unparalleled. The connection you build with your team of homegrown players is something you'll never experience by simply buying success. Every trophy feels earned, every victory sweeter.
So, which club will you choose? Will you embrace the Basque-only purity of Athletic Club, the high-pressing machine of Salzburg, or the gold standard of Ajax?
Let me know in the comments on the socials which club you're firing up for your next youth-only adventure! Good luck, gaffer. You'll need it.
