We
breathe
soccer
breathe
soccer
On Saturday August 21st, soccer legend Leo Messi announced the launch of his first NFT collection powered by ISL, designed by BossLogic, and available on Ethernity Chain’s platform.
“Art is like football – timeless,” Messi said on his Instagram video announcing the collection.
An NFT is a form of crypto asset which uses blockchain to record the ownership status of digital objects, such as images, videos and text. While anyone can view the item, only the buyer of an NFT has the official status of being its owner.
During this year NFTs popularity has exploded on the digital universe, with collections featuring world icons such as Marilyn Monroe or Muhammed Ali, and prices reaching almost $70 million – In March of this year, Christie’s auction house sold a digital work by the artist known as Beeple for $69 million, the most expensive NFT sold to date
The sales of Messi’s limited edition of authenticated NFTs’ reached $3.4M on the first day, breaking yet another record for the Argentinian star – the most expensive sports NFT in history.
One week after the launch, the huge success of the “Messiverse” collection is still rising, led by “The Golden One” NFT, the rarest and currently most expensive one, now priced on the secondary market at 3,000 ETH, equivalent to more than $9 million.
The crypto artworks designed by Australia-based digital designer BossLogic, worldly renowned for his works with Marvel and Disney, are composed of 4 pieces outlining The GOAT’s achievements, moments, team love, and future accomplishments.
According to the official Ethernity Twitter account, the platform had to extend the sale of “Messiverse” NFTs by three hours, following “unprecedented demand”.
The news of Messi’s NFT collection reached the most important media outlets in the world both online and offline, with ISL making headlines in publications like Forbes and Sport, among many others.
As the world took a hit and stepped back with the world pandemic, sports events were one of the most affected industries by quarantine and Covid-19 restrictions.
How deep was the impact of the pandemic on the sports events’ sector?
Will the sports events’ industry be able to recover?
Is this recovery starting already?
ISL experience creates individualized packages according to our clients’ needs. We take care of every single detail and work with the best soccer clubs/associations in Europe to create unmatched events.
The Experience department also provides an international travelling and playing opportunity to all the players in our academies and camps in the US.
In addition, we work with other clubs, colleagues and associations who are external to isl
I have been the director of isl experience for the last 7 years.
No, this caught us all by surprise. I did chat a lot about this with my partners and providers and none of us expected a “crush” like this.
Everything clashed last march 2020 when we were running an event of more than 600 people in Barcelona. Since then it hasn’t been possible to do another event.
We have not stopped working since last march. The team has been focused on customer service, communication, looking for alternatives and solutions for our clients and partners, and always working on different scenarios due to the constant changes of the pandemic’s regulations .
Nevertheless, for the 20-21 season we had more than 700 clients confirmed and willing to come to our different programs. We would have been able to secure a good spring semester with multiple events. However, the situation in Spain and the UK was uncertain and the smartest choice was to postpone those events for the safety of our clients.
My main concern was the communication with our clients and providers/partners. For me it was key, despite the evident difficulties, to keep all our clients and providers/partners satisfied. Understanding everyone’s situation and looking for the best solution. We built strong relationships with them for years and now it was the time to be present and effective.
If COVID-19 restrictions allow us we will be back in october. We have already planned more than 15 events from october 2021 to july 2022. All these events are sold out at the moment so we are extremely excited for this upcoming season!
The main challenge is to secure the safety of all the participants. With government guidelines changing all the time and new variants of the virus out there, we have to be informed and prepared before running an event.
I do not think “recover” is the word as many people have lost their jobs and houses due to the pandemic. However, the sector will adapt and change to this new situation to be able to provide experiences that change people’s lives again in a memorable way. .
CONMEBOL and Ethernity Chain partner to drop exclusive NFT collection
ISL Agency sealed the deal between CONMEBOL, the governing body for soccer in South America, and Ethernity Chain to create the first Copa America official NFT collection, in celebration of the tournament’s 47th edition.
Argentina and Brazil went head to head in the final of the legendary Copa America, led by their iconic stars and former Barça teammates, Leo Messi and Neymar, with Argentina defeating Brazil by 1-0 and Messi winning the prestigious “Goleador ” trophy, awarded to the tournament’s top goal scorer.
To commemorate the tournament, first hosted in 1916, CONMEBOL joined Ethernity Chain to mint both trophies as exclusive NFTs. The “Goleador” trophy quickly sold out for $4,560.85, while the Copa America trophy is going for bids over $2.000.
This epic NFT edition, created by Ethernity Chain and ISL Agency, includes cards of Brazil and Argentina powerhouses, as well as a special collectible entitled Copa America 2021 Champions, which also sold out in just a few hours.
Following Ethernity’s philanthropic character, a portion of the Copa America NFTs proceeds will go to charitable causes.
“The Copa America first official NFT collection was only the first step to immortalize epic soccer competitions and stars as NFTs. We have been working closely with Ethernity Chain to drop more exclusive editions that will delight the fans and honour the sport and its greatest players.” – explains Marc Segarra, ISL Managing Partner.
What are NFTs?
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are “one-of-a-kind” assets in the digital world that can be bought and sold as a certificate like any other piece of property but, unlike most digital folders, can’t be replaced, traded for something else or duplicated.
Founded by early Bitcoin investor and NFT innovator Nick Rose Ntertsas, Ethernity is a unique digital asset platform that produces limited edition digital collectible NFT’s, within the context of art and philanthropy.
Blockchain technology is used to ensure the scarcity, authenticity, and eternal existence of these digital art collectibles endorsed by mainstream celebrities, notable and historical figures, athletes, musicians and entrepreneurs, such as the Winklevoss twins or Pelé.
Anyone can purchase each limited edition artwork, with a portion of the proceeds going to charitable causes that the celebrity supports.
About ISL Agency
ISl Agency is the official mediator between Ethernity Chain and soccer players/institutions.
ISL is a global, fast-growing, full-scale Sports Marketing and Management agency HQ in Miami. Since its founding in 2013, ISL has helped the largest and most valuable sports brands in the world reach the US market. ISL’s clients portfolio range from renowned soccer institutions such as FCBarcelona, City Group, Inter, LaLiga to soccer players including Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Marcelo Vieira, Sergio Busquets and many others.
Over the last decade, ISL has organized over 1500 soccer events with more than 100,000 clients around the world, from 45 different states in North America to Spain and Costa Rica, building a remarkable market share within the sports industry.
The 6 time winner of FIFA’s Ballon D’or, regarded by many as the greatest player of all time, will launch his first NFT (non-fungible token) collection later this month. It is expected that the collection will break all the NFT records.
This exclusive and unprecedented edition created by Bosslogic – one of the graphic designers of the moment, globally famous for his art work for Marvel Studios and Disney – will represent the greatest moments of Messi’s epic career.
Sports icons such as Lebron James, Tom Brady or David Bechkam launched earlier this year their own NFTs and Messi’s collection has been claimed by the fans. The digital artwork will be available online at Ethernity’s platform that has closed the agreement with the argentinian player thanks to the partnership with ISL.
Non fungible tokens, or NFTs, are becoming one of the fastest-growing collectibles in the field of blockchain technology. A collage of 5,000 of Beeple’s earlier artworks was sold last March for $69M, being the most expensive NFT ever sold.
On the Grill: Marc Segarra & Triller Fight Club
TV viewership of traditional sports has been dropping for the last decade, mostly amongst the younger generations.
According to ESPN’s internal data, the number of 12-17-year-olds who identify as “avid sports fans” has dropped from 42% a decade ago to 34% last year.
Adding up to this trend, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the Sports entertainment landscape in an unpredictable way: the stadiums were left with silent empty seats, and the sports competitions and events were cancelled and moved around the calendar.
Forbes published that in 2020 the Stanley Cup Finals dipped by 61%, the NBA Finals were down 49% and it was the least-watched World Series on record.
Even the almighty NFL is scuffling, as the 2021 Super Bowl got 96.4 million viewers, the lowest rating since 2007, according to CNBC.
Overall, a new fan experience is clearly in order to captivate the interest and attention of the new generations, and guarantee the future of sports entertainment.
But how?
New pay-per-view platform, and ISL partner, Triller Fightclub, founded by Triller and Snoop Dogg, has found a way to reinvent boxing.
The last Triller Fight Club event gathered a full slate of familiar names both performing and fighting, including Justin Bieber, Diplo, Dojacat, YouTuber Jake Paul, former MMA champion Ben Askren, along with WBA International champion Joe Fournier and reggaeton star Reykon, mediated by ISL for the event.
The goal wasn’t to make it solely a concert or fighting event, but rather a spectacle that can appeal to almost every demographic. No expense was spared to make that happen with an epic production on set, mixed with guest celebrities and social media influencers creating the buzz around it.
Is Triller’s recipe the solution to increase engagement in Sports Entertainment?
We gathered the comments of Triller Fight Club representatives on this matter, and the answers of ISL Managing Partner Marc Segarra.
Ryan Kavanaugh, Triller co-founder and principal:
“When you say Coachella, it’s not just music — it’s the experience of a weekend, we want people to say the same when they think Triller Fight Club. Boxing hasn’t changed in 50 years. If I go watch a boxing match from 1995 then youth watch a boxing match tomorrow, it’s the same camera angles, same camera, same announcers. The same format. It’s boring. People want entertainment that feels real, and this is the mix to satisfy that desire.”
Source: RollingStone
Marc Segarra: Triller fight club is a “trip” , an entertainment experience that goes way beyond two opponents boxing inside a ring. They are creating a transcendental concept by putting together a multifaceted show led by music legends and global influencers. The crossover between different entertainment experiences is what makes Triller unique, allowing it to capture the attention of a much wider audience than the traditional boxing events.
Bert Marcus, Emmy-winning filmmaker and Triller Fight Club show director:
“This isn’t sports, it’s entertainment that has sports, I think the one thing we’ve made a conscious effort to do is bring sports and entertainment together in a very original way.”
Marc Segarra: How many of you watch a TV program while checking your phones? As technology evolves and continues to overwhelm us, paying attention to a single ¨thing¨ for over 10 min has become a challenge. In order to get the attention of the new generations it is a must to offer short, engaging and cool content communicated with a colloquial and understandable language.
Marc Segarra: Although each individual consumes entertainment differently, the trends for the future of sports entertainment are clear; interactive experiences with short attention span content. These types of trends are totally normal for the Z and Alpha generations but completely new for the millennials and baby boomers. In this disruptive scenario, there is no other way around it than adapting sports entertainment to the new trends.
Marc Segarra: For younger generations it is essential to feel identified and a part of what they consume in order for them to engage with the content. Traditional media is not offering them that sense of belonging, which is why these upcoming platforms exclusively catered to the youngest audiences are taking over the entertainment industry.
Marc Segarra: In my opinion people will consume selected content by minutes. So for example, instead of paying $X to watch 90 min of a full soccer game, people will pay less $$$ to watch portions of this game.
ISL and USYF (United States Youth Futsal – a US Soccer member) have been collaborating for the past 3 years in developing and growing futsal in the US, and are now launching a new program that will kick off this summer, directed by Futsal legend Keith Tozer.
ISL is the only organization in the country with two development academies, Charlotte and Austin, which have produced over 20 National team players and the 03 G National Champions of 2020.
Over the years, ISL has participated in USYF events (bringing 40 teams to the USYF National in Kansas), has run USYF national and state ID’s in multiple cities/states, and has managed the USYF international experience in Barcelona.
As a result of this solid collaboration, ISL will be launching an official USYF program in Charlotte, from July 26th to July 30th, with more dates and locations coming next year.
“We are excited to offer this new programming to our US Youth Futsal family. This provides another opportunity to engage kids and introduce them to futsal around the United States,” says Brian Catrine, USYF – Executive Director.
Led by former US Futsal Men’s National Team Head Coach, Keith Tozer, the ISL official Futsal camps are an exclusive opportunity to learn the methodologies of the unique USYF style, as USYF certified coaches will be delivering the training sessions and teaching the techniques of one of the most prestigious Futsal organizations across the US.
”I am very excited about the opportunity to partner with USYF and the ISL Agency to provide the first comprehensive futsal camp experience here in North America!,” explains Keith Tozer.
Players will experience a fun and energetic learning environment, with a guarantee of professionalism and quality. The trainings have been designed for players of all levels to improve the underlying techniques of futsal accurately, consistently and at match tempo. The camps will also include physical preparation, goalkeeper training and psychological sessions to develop true leaders on the court!
“ISL is proud to be actively participating in the development of futsal players, and contributing to the growth of futsal in the US. We aim to bring american futsal to the highest levels of competition in the world, while generating awareness for the sport and the amazing work done by the USYF – the best partner we could ask for in this mission,” says Adam Brundle, Director of ISL Futsala.
USYF official futsal camps are open to boys and girls between 8 and 17 years old and registration is available at https://www.usyouthfutsal.com/summercamp .
TODAY ON THE COURT: KEITH TOZER, FORMER U.S. FUTSAL MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM HEAD COACH, AND WINNER OF 1996-2004 CONCACAF CHAMPIONSHIPS, ALONG WITH ADAM BRUNDLE, DIRECTOR OF ISL FUTSALA.
It is never easy to grow a relatively new sport, and it is especially complicated to promote it in the USA, under the shadows of American Football, Baseball, Basketball and Hockey.
The birth of professional indoor soccer in America dates back to less than 50 years ago, when in February 1974, the North American Soccer League staged two indoor exhibitions against the touring Red Army of Moscow club.
Despite its novelty when compared to other sports, coach Tozer has accomplished great results developing professional indoor soccer and was the Major Indoor Soccer Leagues first draft pick in 1978 for the Cincinnati Kids owned by Pete Rose of MLB.
After decades of playing and coaching, Tozer became one of the most successful coaches in U.S. soccer history, and the all-time winningest coach in North America Professional Indoor Soccer with over 700 wins, six league championships and nine “Coach of the Year Awards.”
Coach Tozer’s success at indoor soccer led to his role as the U.S. Futsal Men’s National Team Head Coach. He was the interim head coach at the first CONCACAF Futsal World Cup qualifier in 1996 with the U.S. winning their first CONCACAF Futsal Championship.
Tozer coached the National Team for 20 years with six CONCACAF Championship appearances, reaching the podium another 3 times:
– Bronze Medal in 2000
– Gold Medal in 2004
– Bronze Medal in 2008.
Tozer also led the team to a seventh place finish at the 2004 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Chinese Taipei.
On ISL’s side, Adam Brundle currently manages two Futsal academies, in Charlotte and Austin, that have produced over 20 National team players and the 03 G National Champions of 2020.
With hardwork and dedication, he has conquered important milestones for the sport, from partnerships with USYF, to implementing the only Futsal organization in the country with 2 development academies.
What are the next steps?
What’s the future for indoor soccer in the USA?
Let ‘s find out!
Keith Tozer: In 1978 I was playing college soccer at Oneonta State University in upstate New York. I was preparing to be drafted into the NASL when I received a call from Keith Van Eron, the goalkeeper for Hartwick College also in Oneonta. He told me I was the first player drafted in the MISL for the Cincinnati Kids. I was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team player pool and our Head Coach Walt Chyzowych were good friends with Earl Formen and Ed Tepper who were the co-founders of the MISL. They asked coach Chyzowych to handle the inaugural draft and many of us then went on to play in the MISL.
Keith Tozer: I don’t know if I had the skill set to play professionally but I played ice hockey for many years growing up and played in the National Championships when I was a Bantam. I think because I loved playing ice hockey, playing indoor soccer was much easier for me.
Adam Brundle: Futsal has so many benefits to aid any player’s development. It encourages every player to be creative, and forces them to think quickly and find solutions to problems in various situations. It allows players to express themselves, and that is the beauty of sport. I wanted to be able to reach as many players as possible and give them the opportunity to develop and learn how to be the best creative versions of themselves through the sport!
Adam Brundle: There isn’t a sport I have played/experienced in the past which I have not enjoyed to play. I grew up playing Rugby, Cricket, tennis, field hockey, soccer and of course futsal. They all offer something different, and are so unique in their own way but yet so similar in what they teach. I would honestly work with any sport, as long as it allowed me to still be in the world of youth sports.
Keith Tozer: I love all forms of soccer! Outdoor, beach, indoor and futsal. However, my passion is for futsal and of course indoor soccer. Futsal is such a great game on its own as well as a great youth developer for outdoor players. Players can develop great technical ability from futsal, create quick and agile physical skills, hone tactical awareness and become very confident in their game.
Adam Brundle: Prefer in this situation is a strong word. Although many people associate futsal and soccer as the same, they are in fact very different. Both of them have elements that make them so great in their own right! What I love about Futsal is how quick paced the game is, and how purely entertaining it is. Players are more involved consistently, and get more touches, and score more goals!
Keith Tozer: Both versions of the indoor game being indoor soccer with boards or no boards for futsal has grown I believe in recent years because youth players love being around the ball all the time. Because the fields or courts are much smaller than outdoor soccer everyone feels they are more involved in the game which keeps young players mentally and physically engaged.
Adam Brundle: Futsal is growing because it is becoming more known, and more people are seeing the benefits. Large outdoor soccer clubs are now seeing that futsal has a big impact on players development, and are therefore implementing it into their clubs curriculum. Futsal still has a long way to go in order to break out of the shadow of soccer in the US, however it is definitely on the right trajectory. .
Keith Tozer: In order for the U.S. to become a power in the futsal world we will need the PFL to be successful. The top ten+ National Teams in the world all have professional futsal leagues to draw from. That would give many more young players the opportunity to either play outdoor soccer or futsal.
Adam Brundle:The main challenge(s) are the other sports it has to contend with. There are only so many days in a week, and if children are playing other sports it is hard to build futsal into the weekly training regime. From a tv rating standpoint, even soccer is still only the 5th most popular sport in the US. Therefore getting people interested in Futsal which is a very new sport in the US, ahead of staple American sports will be the main challenge that is faced.
Keith Tozer: If U.S. Soccer would create youth futsal National Teams both for boys and girls similar to their outdoor program that would be fantastic. Obviously we need a full Women’s Futsal National Team and I firmly believe in a short period of time we could become one of the best teams in the world. Creating these youth teams with full men and women national teams would have a huge impact not only in Futsal but also our entire outdoor program. What do we have to lose? Other super powers in the outdoor game globally have done so.
Adam Brundle: The ideal scenario is that more and more people start believing in the game, and more and more people become proficient in the education of futsal. This will allow Futsal to be seen as its own sport and not be seen as a compliment to soccer. USYF is doing a great job at leading the charge, and creating a pathway for players to get a true taste of what futsal is. With the creation of the PFL led by Mr. Tozer, it will give players a complete pathway. It will also allow players to realize there is a future beyond the game past the age of 14/15, and that they could turn it into a career.
Keith Tozer: In the next ten years the growth of futsal here in the U.S. will be substantial. I see more and more futsal facilities, academies, league and tournaments being developed across the U.S. giving more and more players the opportunity to experience this great game. Even though the game doesn’t need coaches per say, the game we still need more knowledgeable coaches who understand the methodology of the game of futsal and the USYF coaching education along with others will help immensely. When the PFL kicks off it will be a great shot in the arm for futsal here in the U.S. as well as globally. The PFL will attract some of the top coaches and players from around the world to the U.S. and will only help elevate the development of the American players not only for the league but also for the U.S. National Team..
Adam Brundle: I see it growing exponentially, and being played all over the US. As coach Tozer has mentioned the PFL will allow not only for players to see high quality professional futsal live in America, but it will also pave a realistic pathway for young americans to be able to follow. It will be the tip of the US Futsal pyramid. This will allow for more youth clubs to start engaging in futsal and only futsal, and I believe in the next 10 years we will see Futsal come out of the shadow of soccer, and begin to stand on its own as the sport it is!
Keith Tozer: All the top players in the world have said at one time or another, “I am who I am because growing up in my country I played Futsal!”
Adam Brundle: It is not really a motivational message. However I would just encourage anyone and everyone to try it.. I am positive that more often than not you will fall in love with the game.
Who Will Be On The Grill Next Month? Follow Us @ISLAgency To Find Out!
On April 17th, live from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, entrepreneur and WBA International hampion, Joe Fournier, will take on colombian reggaeton star Reykon on Triller’s Fight Club event. ISL has worked behind the scenes as a mediator to make this fight part of a fierce lineup leading to the Jake Paul, youtuber sensation vs Ben Askren, UFC legend, combat.
ISL & Triller Fight Club
Triller Fight Club is a partnership between leading music and social media platform Triller and Snoop Dogg, with a mission to provide the best boxing fights on pay-per-view for every audience, from the diehard to the casual fan.
Triller started as a video-sharing social media app, becoming the fiercest competitor of TikTok in a matter of months. Last fall, the platform started a new division as fight broadcaster and promoter, hosting an explosive fight on their first event with none other than the legendary Mike Tyson and the acclaimed Jake Paul.
The first fight hosted by Triller became the 8th most watched PPV fighting event in history.
ISL is proud to help build a legacy of exclusive boxing content and premium entertainment with a never before seen fight between a professional boxer, Joe Fournier, and an international singer, Reykon.
“With Triller we are seeing fresh, new, out of the box content, combining sports, entertainment and the unexpected element of surprise. As crossover fights increase with successful results, we wanted to be the first ones ever to mediate a fight between a professional boxer and a reggaeton artist”, explains Marc Segarra, ISL Managing Partner.
“As a sports marketing agency, we are proud to partner with a leading entertainment platform as Triller Fight Club”, concludes Alex Isern, ISL Co-Founder and CEO. The entertainment of the night is guaranteed to continue outside the ring with Justin Bieber and The Black Keys, among other artists.
As for the men of the hour, mediated by ISL, their rivalry started after a confrontation in a Miami restaurant, and will blow up on the ring on April 17th, 9pm EST.
ISL takes a step further in business development and cutting-edge trends, by helping to bring soccer to the frontline of digital technology.
Ethernity is a unique digital asset platform that produces limited edition digital collectible NFT’s and trading cards, by brilliant and elite artists featuring mainstream celebrities, notable and historical figures, athletes, musicians, entrepreneurs, gamers and much more!
Blockchain technology is used to ensure the scarcity, authenticity, and eternal existence of these collectibles.
The Winklevoss twins, Djs Dimitri Vegas and Alesso, Pro Skater Tony Hawk, MLB star Fernando Tatís, boxing legend Muhammad Ali and top artist Bosslogic, are just some of the names on the exclusive Ethernity collections.
ISL & Ethernity Chain
ISL is always at the vanguard of new sports and technology trends, thus it makes only sense to be Ethernity’s first and official partner for NFT’s creations in the soccer industry.
“As a 360 sports management agency, we are continuously focused on bringing value and new opportunities to our clients and partners.NFT’s have revolutionized the digital space and they provide a uniqueness and scarcity that match perfectly with our sports properties”, explains Alex Isern, ISL co-founder and CEO.
“This strategic partnership with Ethernity will allow us to create a unique digital artwork with world-class athletes, clubs, leagues and other sports organizations.We have already locked down several sport icons and we can’t wait to release their first NFT’s collection very soon”, says Marc Segarra, ISL Managing Partner.
The first soccer NFT collection will be announced in the next few weeks with a world renowned player.
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are “one-of-a-kind” assets in the digital world that can be bought and sold like any other piece of property, but can’t be duplicated, replaced or traded for something else, as they have no tangible form of their own.
For example: while you can exchange and trade money or bitcoins, and get the same value in return, an NFT is like a one-of-a-kind trading card, if you trade it for a different card, you will not receive the same value back. The groundbreaking revolution of NFT’s is that both physical or virtual assets, such as artwork, can be “tokenised” to create a digital certificate of ownership.
This certificate can be bought and sold, but can’t be duplicated, unlike most digital folders. NFT’s use the same technology as crypto currency: a record of who owns what is stored on a shared ledger known as the blockchain. The records cannot be forged because the ledger is maintained by thousands of computers around the world.
How much are NFT’s worth?
It is their unique non-fungible feature that makes NFT’s so special and valuable, and the reason why they have been moving millions of dollars around the globe!
The boom of the digital tokens became a reality when an animated GIF of Nyan Cat – a 2011 meme of a flying pop-tart cat – was sold for more than $500.000. The trend kept growing as musician Grimes sold some of her digital art for more than $6 million Dollars, and recently Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has promoted an NFT of the first ever evert tweet with bids hitting $2.5 million.
MORE EXCITING NEWS ABOUT ISL FIRST SOCCER COLLECTION x ETHERNITY COMING SOON!
Stay tuned!
ISL continues to support the development of US soccer by launching the first official recruitment platform of LaLiga for youth talent in the United States.
ISL, in collaboration with LaLiga, is launching LaLiga Select – a platform that will provide young American soccer players, between the ages of 13 to 18, the opportunity to showcase their talent and start a professional soccer career in a youth club from LaLiga.
The launch of LaLiga Select represents an important milestone for LaLiga in the United States, as it is the first legitimate scouting program for soccer players led by an international sports institution in North America. This project is part of an action plan drawn by the Spanish League and Relevent to contribute to the growth of soccer in the United States, while continuing to provide all resources and opportunities to help American talent in its preparation for the 2026 World Cup.
With these types of initiatives, ISL and La Liga are encouraging and facilitating the arrival of new American talents to Spain at an early age, such as Sergiño Dest and Konrad De La Fuente from FC Barcelona, or Yunus Musah from Valencia FC.
“La Liga Select aims to contribute to the development of young American talent, providing players an opportunity to showcase their potential, an experience that will step up their game, and , the chance to kick off their dream of becoming a professional soccer player and one day represent their country in the World Cup”,says Nicolás García Hemme, VP of Strategy & Business Development for LaLiga North America, “Our goal is to collaborate with local clubs to become their international recruitment arm and continue to add new locations every year in different American regions.”.
This unprecedented initiative will start in 2021 between June 21st and July 13th, with several Talent ID held across different cities in the United States, and is expected to gather thousands of participants. Approximately 60 players will be selected by LaLiga scouts to embark on a Spanish Showcase in Madrid. During a period of 10 days this group of players will train and compete with the best clubs in Spain under the supervision of different Technical Directors from LaLiga Youth Clubs, who will then recruit the best player from each age category to participate in a sponsored training camp with a LaLiga Youth Club.
LaLiga Select will open the doors of European soccer for American players, creating a quality reference in US soccer, while positioning Spain as an attractive market for young US players.