Why is Spain the best place to train as a footballer?

Spain, World Champion in 2026: What's Behind Their Youth Football

Spain won the 2026 World Cup on July 19: 1-0 against Argentina in extra time, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It's their second World Cup and comes two years after winning the 2024 European Championship. That result can't be explained by a single generation of players, but by a way of developing players that is repeated in Spanish clubs.

At the International Academy of C.D. Leganés, players from other countries train within that culture, in the structure of a professional LALIGA Hypermotion club, and with a written methodology: the CDL Method.

What's different about Spanish training?

The Spanish school focuses on three things: understanding the game before executing it, making decisions under pressure, and competing from an early age. That's why training is designed with real match situations and not just isolated drills.

The CDL Method translates that idea into three main areas of work:

• Thinking: understanding each phase of the game and your own role in it.

• Running: technique and physical training worked on daily, on the field and in the gym.

• Belonging: a team identity that demands from the player and supports them.

What is the CDL Method?

The CDL Method is the documented work system of the International Academy of C.D. Leganés. It’s based on three ideas —think, execute, and belong— and is organized into five pieces: the Lega player profile; a game model with four phases plus set pieces; an attribute profile for each position; a training system that orders tasks by complexity and structures the week around the match; and a report that scores each position’s eight key attributes from 1 to 4, using GPS and video data from every session.

What does it mean to train within a professional club?

You train at the club's facilities, the Estadio Anexo Jesús Polo and the Butarque Sports Facility, with 4 or 5 weekly sessions that include a video session and a gym session. Every session is tracked with GPS and recorded with a VEO camera.

Who’s coming to join C.D. Leganés?

Since the 2021-22 season, 939 players from over 100 nationalities have passed through the academy; just in the 2025-26 season, there were players from 70 countries. That mix also shapes you: you learn to compete and to live with very different football cultures.

Frequently Asked Questions

From what age can I come?

Elite Intensive accepts players aged 8 to 23 and female players aged 12 to 23. Performance Year and Academic Year are designed for players and female players aged 16 to 23.

Can I play official matches? 

Yes, from 18 years old, or from 16 if you have a European Union passport, once you're registered with a club team. Below that age, they play friendly matches.

What's the best way to start?

Elite Intensive: from one week, you train with the group that matches your age and level and leave with an evaluation and a technical report.

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