The 2026 World Cup inspires young people… and football academies are anticipating an increase in demand

Specialists confirmed that the positive impact of the 2026 World Cup was not limited to the competition that ended with the Spanish national team winning the title, but rather extended to increasing the passion of children and young people for football, and creating new momentum for the academies with anticipation of an increase in demand after the end of the summer, after they followed the stars of international teams and players who reached the highest levels at an early age.

They explained to “Emirates Today” that the success of this stage depends on the role of families, the quality of training programs, the qualification of coaches, and the provision of an integrated environment that helps children develop artistically and personally, stressing that academies represent the basic base for creating future players, calling for investing in the momentum created by the World Cup to transform admiration for stars into a continuous practice that contributes to discovering and developing talent, in a way that serves the future of Emirati football. They also expected an increase in the numbers of those enrolled in academies with the improvement of temperatures and the return of schools.

Family role

The director of the Regional Academy in Abu Dhabi, Omar Al-Dhiyebi, confirmed that it is still too early to talk about a significant increase in the number of people enrolled in the academies in light of the high temperatures and the summer vacation, expecting that the real impact of the World Cup will appear with the improvement of the weather and the return of schools.

He said: “The family plays the most important role in the decision for children to join academies, and with the success of the World Cup in attracting families and turning watching matches into a social event, it is natural for parents to increase their interest in encouraging their children to practice football, especially among families that realize the importance of sports in building the child’s personality.”

He added: “Major international tournaments, such as the World Cup, represent an incentive for children, but the real challenge is to transform this enthusiasm into continuous practice, by maintaining the quality of training programs, and providing qualified trainers and appropriate sports facilities.”

He pointed out that the Regional Academy has succeeded in graduating players who are active in state clubs and university teams, in addition to players who have had professional experiences abroad, including the British player Fi Al-Qaimi (of Iraqi origin), who previously played for Manchester United.

Attracting professional trainers

For his part, the supervisor at the Legantus Academy in Dubai, Italian Michele Bon, confirmed that the public success achieved by the 2026 World Cup represents an important opportunity to develop football at the age group level, indicating that more children and families will accept academies during the coming period.

He said: “Academies are not just a place for training, but an environment that helps children grow in a healthy society and enhances the values ​​of cooperation and interaction between them. The World Cup also succeeded in expanding the base of followers of the game globally through the participation of 48 teams.”

He stressed that the next stage requires attracting professional trainers and providing modern sports facilities, in addition to greater support from the concerned authorities, stressing that the quality of work within the academies will be the decisive factor in maintaining the passion created by the tournament.

He added: “It is also important to organize events that host professional players or former stars, because children are constantly following them, and cooperating with schools and organizing activities that bring together players and their families will contribute to strengthening their connection to sports and transforming passion into a sustainable practice.”

Inspiring model

The technical director of Villarreal Academy Dubai and its founder, Amr Zakaria, confirmed that the 2026 World Cup had a great positive impact on children playing football in the country, especially with the tournament being held during the summer vacation, which allowed them to follow the matches and enjoy the technical and tactical aspects.

He added that the brilliance of graduates of international academies in the tournament represents an inspiring model for young players, noting that Villarreal presented three graduates of its academy in the Spanish national team that won the title, namely Rodri Hernandez, Alex Baena, and Jeremi Pino, which reflects the importance of investing in the age groups.

He stressed that the goal of the Villarreal Academy in the Emirates is to prepare a generation capable of professionalism at the highest levels by providing an integrated training and educational environment.

He explained that the academy adopts the philosophy of the Spanish club Villarreal, and does not limit itself to daily training, but also gives players opportunities to travel to Spain and have experiences with teams of different age groups, with the aim of developing the technical, physical and mental aspects.