Barça Residency Academy to join USL Academy League for 2024 season

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – The USL Academy has announced the addition of Barça Residency Academy USA to the USL Academy League for the 2024 season.

Started in 2017, Barça Residency Academy USA is world-renowned soccer club FC Barcelona’s first and only youth residency soccer academy in the United States. Student athletes live, attend school, and train at Grande Sports World in Arizona which features on-site dorms, eight soccer fields, professional nutritional programming, a high school, and a 58,000 square-foot athletic training facility. In the seven years since its inception, Barça Residency Academy USA has produced 29 players that have signed professional contracts and over 140 players that have signed for college programs.

“We are extremely excited to be joining the USL Academy League,” said Ged Quinn, Barça Residency Academy USA Director. “The games will provide a high level of competition for our guys and also increase exposure for our players to clubs at the professional level.”

The USL Academy structure provides the platform for talent to develop in their local environment before moving to the higher pre-professional and professional ranks in the USL. Competing in the Cactus Division for the 2024 USL Academy League season, Barça Residency Academy USA will compete against professional USL Championship club academies such as El Paso Locomotive FC, New Mexico United and Phoenix Rising FC.

“The 10 regular season games that we will play within the Cactus Division at the U20 age group are against well-established and high-level teams and will assist in the continued growth and development of our players,” added Quinn.

“We are excited to welcome Barça Residency Academy USA to the USL Academy for the 2024 league season,” said Jason Collister, USL Director of Men’s Pre-Professional Pathway. “The Barça Residency is a proven incubator for some of the top talent in the country, and we believe competing in the USL Academy League will raise the level of play for the Cactus Division overall in our mission to provide players the resources and pathway to play professionally.”