Top 5 Best MLS Academies of the Last Decade

The MLS has come a long way in acquiring higher-quality player talent. While the influx of high-quality European players coming to the MLS to finish their long-lived careers has helped, another part can be from the raw talent pulled from young players coming out of academies.

In this article, we’ll discuss 5 of the best MLS academies from the last decade that have led to the best player growth and contributed the greatest to the growing league.

#5 – New England Revolution Academy

With limited options from their player pool, the New England Revolution’s youth academy turns over some of the highest-quality players you can find. Although many players have a tough time breaking through to the Major Leagues when working with the Revs, it’s clear that their development program is unmatched.

Players like Diego Fagundez would start his blooming MLS career at the Revs academy in 2009 before just recently winning the 2024 MLS Cup with his current LA Galaxy team. The New England-based academy has some top prospects from the U16 age group going into the 2025 season.

#4 – New York City FC Academy

Some of the most solid modern players you can think of, including the likes of home-grown James Sands (MLS debut – 2017), Justin Haak (MLS debut – 2019), and U.S. international Joe Scally (MLS debut – 2020) have come from one of the two prestigious New York club academies, the first known as New York City FC.

While NYCFC is notorious for not spending too many resources to recruit players compared to their counterparts at New York Red Bulls, development-wise, they do a great job at drilling the idea of expansive soccer into the players. It’s also reported that New York City’s team has the best class of 2007 players getting ready for their potential debuts in the upcoming MLS seasons.

#3 – Real Salt Lake Academy

When it comes to recruitment, you’ll find scouts from Real Salt Lake scattered across the U.S. in search of talented, youthful players. As one of the core founding franchises in the MLS, Salt Lake offers a great pathway into the MLS and possesses a generous Midwest talent pool to work with.

Plenty of today’s MLS players came through the RSL pipeline, including Atlanta United’s RB Brooks Lennon and current FC Cincinnati forward Corey Baird. Even though the Real Salt Lake academy has been known to aggressively push players to the professional ranks at a young age when they appear to be top prospects, they sometimes find slight struggle when moving onto the next level.

#2 – New York Red Bulls Academy

Most fans and players can agree that the sheer talent going into and coming out of the New York Red Bulls academy is top-class for berthing new American-based players into the MLS. This season, the Red Bulls have the top 10 prospects of players born after 2008, giving them the potential for spilling large player talent into the Major Leagues.

Even top prospects like Jack Mize (born 2008) already have a contract at 16 years old to join Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga. Players such as LA Galaxy’s Sean Davis, Nashville’s Alex Muyl and Toronto’s Derrick Etienne Jr. have all come from the highly-sought-after Red Bulls academy, putting them up on the ladder as one of, if not the best  MLS academies in the modern decade.

#1 – Philadelphia Union Academy

Currently ranked at #1 in the 2024 MLS academy rankings is the Philadelphia Union Academy, and for good reason. Apart from producing the youngest player in Union history to be added to the roster (Cavan Sullivan, 5th youngest signing in MLS history), the Union has brought in and developed consistent high-end talent across the board.

While it’s hard for them to retain their players after development due to such skill, the Union Academy does turn in a profit that allows them to seek further recruits as well as develop their franchise. In addition to some of the top current player prospects such as Cavan Sullivan born in 2009, players such as Columbus Crew’s Derrick Jones, Celtic FC’s Auston Trusty (Scottish Premier League), and Union’s Jack McGlyn, and many more have all started their careers coming from the famed Philadelphia Union academy.