Football Manager 26 · Academy guide
Find the right academy for your next FM26 save. Compare Youth Recruitment, Youth Facilities, Junior Coaching and Training Facilities across this shortlist of clubs and academies. Explore a nation, set your minimum ratings and compare two setups side by side.
Strong infrastructure improves your starting point; it does not guarantee a wonderkid. Youth intakes vary. Use these ratings to compare the academy setup, then assess the actual players arriving in your save.
What do YR, YF, JC and TF mean?
Youth Recruitment
Recruitment networks and the ability to attract young talent before intake day.
Youth Facilities
The facilities used in the background before newgens appear in your youth intake.
Junior Coaching
The coaching available to youngsters before they enter your visible squads.
Training Facilities
Training infrastructure for players already at the club, including your visible youth teams.
Youth Facilities and Training Facilities serve different stages of development. See the official FM26 youth intake guide for the underlying distinction.
FM26 youth academy shortlist
Start with all entries or narrow the list with a quick rating preset. Sections are grouped by Youth Recruitment; the other three columns remain independent. Select two VS boxes to compare academy strengths without hiding either selection when you change filters.
206 entries
Try Ajax, Man Utd, Portugal or ENG. Search covers club aliases, nations and linked competitions, and ignores accents. Filters work together. Choose a group to show its table, or select a heading to sort.
Every score is out of 20. Colours mark numeric bands, not the game's named facility levels. VS compares two entries; your selection survives filtering.
Compare two academy setups
Try a lower minimum rating or another nation.
Maximum Youth Recruitment: 20/20
Back to search ↑Start here when recruitment is your priority. Manchester City, Barcelona, Benfica and River Plate all have YR 20 in this list, yet their other academy ratings differ. Compare Youth Facilities and Junior Coaching alongside recruitment before choosing your FM26 youth development project.
| VS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 16 | 14 | 16 |  Colombia | ||
| 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 |  Spain | ||
| 20 | 16 | 18 | 16 |  Switzerland | ||
| 20 | 20 | 17 | 17 |  Portugal | ||
| 20 | 14 | 14 | 17 |  Scotland | ||
| 20 | 16 | 16 | 16 |  Chile | ||
| 20 | 16 | 20 | 16 |  Serbia | ||
| 20 | 15 | 19 | 14 |  Croatia | ||
| 20 | 17 | 16 | 18 |  Romania | ||
| 20 | 16 | 16 | 17 |  Denmark | ||
| 20 | 18 | 20 | 16 | Denmark | ||
| 20 | 14 | 14 | 14 |  Iran | ||
| 20 | 16 | 16 | 16 |  Ecuador | ||
| 20 | 18 | 16 | 18 |  Poland | ||
| 20 | 18 | 16 | 18 | Poland | ||
| 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 |  Bulgaria | ||
| 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 |  England | ||
| 20 | 16 | 17 | 16 |  Greece | ||
| 20 | 16 | 17 | 16 | Serbia | ||
| 20 | 16 | 17 | 17 |  Kazakhstan | ||
| 20 | 15 | 14 | 17 | Scotland | ||
| 20 | 20 | 17 | 17 |  Argentina | ||
| 20 | 17 | 14 | 18 |  Ukraine | ||
| 20 | 19 | 17 | 19 | Portugal | ||
| 20 | 20 | 17 | 17 |  Brazil | ||
| 20 | 16 | 17 | 17 |  Norway |
High Youth Recruitment: 18-19/20
Back to search ↑This group brings together FM26 academies with recruitment ratings close to the maximum. Ajax, Chelsea and PSV illustrate why the four columns deserve a separate look: a high recruitment score can sit alongside a very different facilities or coaching setup. Use minimum ratings to find the combination you want.
| VS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 19 | 15 | 17 |  Italy | ||
| 19 | 20 | 18 | 20 |  Netherlands | ||
| 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | England | ||
| 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | Italy | ||
| 19 | ASPIRE Academy | 17 | 16 | 14 |  Qatar | |
| 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | Italy | ||
| 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | Spain | ||
| 19 | 16 | 18 | 17 | Spain | ||
| 19 | Australian Institute of Sport | 16 | 17 | 16 |  Australia | |
| 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | Netherlands | ||
| 19 | 15 | 17 | 16 | Argentina | ||
| 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | England | ||
| 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | England | ||
| 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 |  Germany | ||
| 19 | 15 | 17 | 18 | Portugal | ||
| 19 | 17 | 19 | 18 |  Austria | ||
| 19 | 15 | 16 | 16 | Romania | ||
| 19 | 15 | 17 | 16 | Switzerland | ||
| 19 | 19 | 15 | 17 | Italy | ||
| 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | England | ||
| 19 | 15 | 17 | 16 |  Slovenia | ||
| 19 | OL LyonnesWomen | 18 | 17 | 19 |  France | |
| 19 | 17 | 14 | 16 | Greece | ||
| 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | France | ||
| 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | Spain | ||
| 19 | 15 | 17 | 15 |  Nigeria | ||
| 19 | 17 | 16 | 17 | France | ||
| 19 | 16 | 17 | 15 |  South Korea | ||
| 19 | 17 | 14 | 16 | Chile | ||
| 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | Germany | ||
| 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | Spain | ||
| 19 | 17 | 15 | 17 | Argentina | ||
| 18 | 18 | 15 | 16 | Austria | ||
| 18 | 18 | 20 | 19 | England | ||
| 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | Germany | ||
| 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | Germany | ||
| 18 | 16 | 14 | 15 | Denmark | ||
| 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 |  Belgium | ||
| 18 | 18 | 14 | 18 | Ukraine | ||
| 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | Germany | ||
| 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | Austria | ||
| 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | Netherlands | ||
| 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | Brazil | ||
| 18 | 17 | 18 | 14 |  Israel | ||
| 18 | 17 | 15 | 17 |  South Africa | ||
| 18 | Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy BelezaWomen | 16 | 19 | 14 |  Japan | |
| 18 | 18 | 15 | 16 | Slovenia | ||
| 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | France | ||
| 18 | 15 | 15 | 18 | Brazil | ||
| 18 | 14 | 17 | 16 | France | ||
| 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | Netherlands | ||
| 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | Belgium | ||
| 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | Belgium | ||
| 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | Chile | ||
| 18 | 15 | 14 | 15 |  New Zealand | ||
| 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 |  Slovakia |
Youth Recruitment: 16-17/20
Back to search ↑Look beyond the highest recruitment score to find another route into an academy save. Liverpool and Tottenham have YR 17 in the supplied list, while both score 20 for Youth Facilities. The comparison tool makes those trade-offs visible without reducing four different factors to one invented overall rating.
| VS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 14 | 17 | 15 |  Sweden | ||
| 17 | 16 | 14 | 16 | Bulgaria | ||
| 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 |  Paraguay | ||
| 17 | 14 | 14 | 19 | Brazil | ||
| 17 | Domžale | 15 | 14 | 15 | Slovenia | |
| 17 | 15 | 16 | 18 | Germany | ||
| 17 | 19 | 17 | 19 | Italy | ||
| 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | Austria | ||
| 17 | 19 | 16 | 19 | Spain | ||
| 17 | 15 | 18 | 15 | Germany | ||
| 17 | INF Clairefontaine | 18 | 17 | 19 | France | |
| 17 | 19 | 16 | 19 | Italy | ||
| 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | Belgium | ||
| 17 | 20 | 19 | 19 | England | ||
| 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | Israel | ||
| 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | Sweden | ||
| 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | France | ||
| 17 | 15 | 17 | 16 | South Korea | ||
| 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | Spain | ||
| 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | Spain | ||
| 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | Austria | ||
| 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | England | ||
| 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 |  Czechia | ||
| 17 | 20 | 18 | 20 | England | ||
| 17 | 14 | 17 | 15 | Norway | ||
| 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | Germany | ||
| 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | Germany | ||
| 17 | 19 | 16 | 19 | Spain | ||
| 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | Germany | ||
| 16 | 18 | 16 | 15 | Czechia | ||
| 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | Portugal | ||
| 16 | 15 | 17 | 15 | Portugal | ||
| 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Australia | ||
| 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | Romania | ||
| 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | Scotland | ||
| 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | Sweden | ||
| 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | Japan | ||
| 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | Switzerland | ||
| 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | Paraguay | ||
| 16 | 18 | 16 | 18 | Australia | ||
| 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | Spain | ||
| 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | Chile | ||
| 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | Croatia | ||
| 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 |  Mexico | ||
| 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | Argentina | ||
| 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | Japan | ||
| 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | Austria | ||
| 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | Austria | ||
| 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | Czechia | ||
| 16 | 14 | 16 | 14 | Switzerland | ||
| 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | South Korea | ||
| 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | Japan | ||
| 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | Spain |
Youth Recruitment: 14-15/20
Back to search ↑A lower recruitment score can coexist with strong training infrastructure. Leicester, for example, has YR 15 and TF 20 here. This section can help you explore clubs where improving recruitment is a different decision from improving the facilities used by players already in your squads.
| VS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 | England | ||
| 15 | 18 | 15 | 18 | France | ||
| 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | Germany | ||
| 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | Brazil | ||
| 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | Spain | ||
| 15 | 18 | 15 | 14 | France | ||
| 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | Netherlands | ||
| 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | Germany | ||
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | Scotland | ||
| 15 | Kansas City CurrentWomen | 16 | 14 | 15 |  U.S.A. | |
| 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | Spain | ||
| 15 | 20 | 15 | 20 | England | ||
| 15 | 16 | 14 | 18 | England | ||
| 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | Denmark | ||
| 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | Paraguay | ||
| 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 |  Armenia | ||
| 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | Germany | ||
| 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | France | ||
| 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | Germany | ||
| 15 | SFK 2000 SarajevoWomen | 16 | 14 | 15 |  Bosnia & Herzegovina | |
| 15 | SGS EssenWomen | 16 | 19 | 16 | Germany | |
| 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | France | ||
| 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | Argentina | ||
| 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | Italy | ||
| 15 | Vancouver RiseWomen | 16 | 14 | 16 |  Canada | |
| 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | England | ||
| 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | Netherlands | ||
| 15 | 17 | 14 | 17 | England | ||
| 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | Belgium | ||
| 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | Portugal | ||
| 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | Denmark | ||
| 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | Sweden | ||
| 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 |  Iceland | ||
| 14 | 17 | 14 | 15 | England | ||
| 14 | 14 | 17 | 17 | England | ||
| 14 | 18 | 14 | 18 | England | ||
| 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | Netherlands | ||
| 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | Sweden | ||
| 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | England | ||
| 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | Sweden | ||
| 14 | 16 | 14 | 15 | England | ||
| 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | U.S.A. | ||
| 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | Spain | ||
| 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 |  Costa Rica | ||
| 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | France | ||
| 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | Belgium | ||
| 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | England | ||
| 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | France | ||
| 14 | 17 | 16 | 17 | Germany | ||
| 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | Netherlands | ||
| 14 | 16 | 14 | 15 | Portugal |
More academies to explore: YR 10-13/20
Back to search ↑These entries complete the supplied FM26 academy shortlist. Check the individual facilities and coaching ratings before ruling a club in or out. The list also contains standalone academy and historical records; inclusion is not a promise that every team is immediately selectable in your game setup.
| VS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | Germany | ||
| 13 | 16 | 14 | 16 | Germany | ||
| 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 | Belgium | ||
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | Japan | ||
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | Germany | ||
| 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | Spain | ||
| 13 | FC Dnipro | 14 | 17 | 16 | Ukraine | |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | France | ||
| 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | Belgium | ||
| 13 | Legia LadiesWomen | 18 | 14 | 18 | Poland | |
| 13 | Munkach | 16 | 14 | 16 | Ukraine | |
| 13 | Racing LouisvilleWomen | 14 | 14 | 16 | U.S.A. | |
| 13 | 16 | 17 | 16 | France | ||
| 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | England | ||
| 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | Croatia | ||
| 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | Iceland | ||
| 13 | 16 | 14 | 16 | Germany | ||
| 13 | 16 | 13 | 15 | Spain | ||
| 10 | Dinamo-Yuni | 15 | 15 | 15 |  Belarus | |
| 10 | 15 | 15 | 15 |  Guatemala |
Choosing an FM26 youth development save
Compare the setup with your plan. If you want a club with no rating below 16, use the balanced preset and choose a nation. If a particular factor matters more to you, set its minimum independently. There is no hidden weighting or combined academy score in these tables.
Check the practical route to the first team. Open a club's Database profile to inspect its squad, then think about where future academy graduates could fit. Compare the FM26 transfer and wage budgets if you also plan to recruit youngsters from elsewhere.
Read each source entry separately. A few names occur more than once with different ratings. Those source records are retained with their original scores and link to the same club profile. A club's current Database competition is context for its linked profile; it is not an extra academy rating.
FM26 youth academy questions
Which club has the best youth academy in FM26?
That depends on the factor you want to compare. In this supplied list, Manchester City and Barcelona both have maximum Youth Recruitment and Youth Facilities, but their Junior Coaching and Training Facilities differ. Sort each column or compare the two entries to inspect the setup.
Does Youth Recruitment 20 guarantee wonderkids?
No. A maximum rating is a strong recruitment setup, not a guaranteed intake result. Randomness and wider national and club context still matter.
Do Youth Facilities train my visible youth squad?
The distinction is before and after intake: Youth Facilities support the academy before players appear, while Training Facilities serve the players already at the club. The separate YF and TF columns make that distinction visible.
Are the colours official Football Manager facility descriptions?
No. They are numeric bands used by this guide: 20, 18-19, 16-17, 14-15 and 1-13. The same colours are applied consistently to all four ratings. The numbers remain on their original 1-20 scale.
How can I improve the academy setup?
Improvements to Youth Recruitment, Youth Facilities and Junior Coaching are requested from the board. Approval is not automatic. Check what your board will fund in your own save.
Why are some club names repeated or not linked?
The source has no team IDs and includes repeated names with different scores, as well as named women’s clubs and standalone academies. Repeated records link to the club profile while retaining their separate source ratings. The club link identifies the club; it does not verify which team or game version each rating record describes. Named women’s teams and standalone academies without an available public profile remain in the list.
Can I manage every academy in this list?
Not necessarily. Clubs, standalone academies and historical records can have different availability. Check the leagues and database loaded in your own game before choosing a save.
What does the comparison highlight?
It highlights the higher value separately for Youth Recruitment, Youth Facilities, Junior Coaching and Training Facilities, and marks equal values as equal. It does not predict which club will produce better newgens.
What does the CSV download contain?
It exports the entries matching your current filters, with all four ratings, nation and available club and competition links. It is a spreadsheet CSV, not an importable in-game shortlist.
About the data and links
This guide retains all 206 source entries and every YR, YF, JC and TF value. It is a supplied shortlist, not a complete ranking of every club in FM26. The source does not state a precise game database version or team ID, so the ratings have not been relabelled as a newer update. Names may be expanded to a recognisable club name while the original name remains searchable.
191 entries have verified public Database club links. The remaining 15 entries have no matching public profile and are still included. Repeated club names link to the same club while retaining their original source scores. A missing crest falls back to initials. Game updates and your own save can differ from this reference.
Join the conversation
What do you think? Share your take, ask a question or help another manager. FM Blog Community is new and still evolving.