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breathe
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With the goal of taking travel management to the next level, ISL launches Futbol First, a.k.a FF, a global travel management company specialized in organizing worldwide experiences for soccer players, clubs, colleges and schools all over the globe.
MISSION
We want to inspire the next generation! We provide international soccer experiences focused on cultural exchange, education and healthy habits. We exist with the sole purpose of turning dreams into real opportunities!
VISION
We want to make an impact! If a student, a young player or a soccer institution is looking to experience a cultural exchange overseas where soccer is involved, we want to be the first obvious choice.
Global Leader in Soccer Educational Experiences
For over ten years, FF has forged an indisputable relationship with the biggest names in the soccer world. You know, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, LaLiga, Manchester City, Sporting Lisbon, PSG, Chelsea, Uk Football Association, US Futsal Federation and many others.
With the help of this exclusive network, we offer a distinctive experience to more than 10,000 players throughout the world. We are proud to say that since 2013 we’ve helped thousands of people to discover new places and cultures while developing their soccer skills.
We are true believers of traveling as a tool to make us better and help us in our self-development journey. For us, sports and discovering new cultures is just the perfect match!
“I feel really positive about launching FF. This will allow us to reach more clubs, colleges and soccer organizations worldwide. We want to become global leaders in cultural experiences through soccer and we are confident that FF will help us to achieve our goals” -Achille Obougou, Futbol First Director.
(Picture team isl travels without old logo)
Sub. Picture: Travel, learn, grow and play.
With Futbol First everything is possible… There are no limits!
Immerse yourself in a life changing experience by traveling and playing soccer all at once.
Wanna be part of this amazing community? Check out our website www.futbolfirst.com and join us!
Follow us on social media to stay up to date about our happenings! (link instagram)
After a forced two year break due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, ISL resumes its events and sports travelling activities to the UK. We are extremely excited to return to the home of soccer!
“We can finally return to the UK since this program offers different activities and experiences to our programs in Spain. I am very satisfied with the team’s great work, since October we have had 6 events during the toughest moments of the pandemic and the peak of the Omicron variant. That is not easy at all and it is due to the great work of the Experiences team.” – says Achille Obougou, Director of Travel Management.
Players and their families will join Team ISL on its return to the British Isles for an unforgettable nine-day experience visiting London and Manchester.
The players will train at Manchester City’s facilities with Manchester City´s official coaches and compete in friendlies against other teams. They will also train at West Ham´s training grounds for a day.
Players and families will enjoy exclusive tours of the Etihad Stadium and Old Trafford in Manchester, as well as two Premier League games. They will be lucky enough to watch World Champions Chelsea take on Crystal Palace on Saturday and Manchester United battle Watford next weekend.
Outdoor and cultural activities are planned for players and families to explore these two soccer hungry cities. More exciting surprises await our guests and we can´t wait for you to arrive!
The ISL team has been working hard to offer better travel experiences, prioritizing the players’ and families’ safety at all times.
This season, ISL has 20 sport events lined up in 5 different locations.
Stay tuned for more information about our soccer experiences! @team_isl
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 teamed up at the end of last month for USYF´s international experience in Madrid, Spain.
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.
Spearheaded by Futsal legend Keith Tozer under the guidance and expertise of ISL, players, their coaches and some family members traveled to Madrid to train, compete against the top Futsal Academies in the region and tour the beautiful Spanish capital. ISL staff was ever-present and on hand to support USYF and its players. A special thank you is in order for Brian Catrine and Soorena Farboodmanesh, without both of you this wouldn’t have been possible.
Fifteen teams from different age groups enjoyed training on a near daily basis and friendly games were organized for them to showcase their skills and elevate their game by competing against the very best Spain’s capital has to offer whilst representing USYF, the United States and ISL.
Players also were lucky enough to tour downtown Madrid’s Retiro Park, take a tour of Madrid´s historic district and enjoy Madrid´s premier theme park, Parque Warner.
Kaylen and Kylie (two of USYF´s rising stars) commented respectively: “I thought it was really good because we learnt a lot of new things and I loved playing against teams in Madrid,” Kylie added, “I think it was awesome, it was really fun to play against the Spanish teams.”
Stay Tuned for more events coming up! @islagency
Yesterday morning, the captain of FC Barcelona and Spain’s national team, passed by ISL’s Barcelona Soccer Experience training session to meet our players.
Busquets stopped at the Barcelona Soccer Experience training session to meet the 135 American players who travelled overseas to enjoy an unique soccer experience. It was a big surprise for all the young players, who were very excited to meet an international soccer star.
Just like them, Busquets had the dream to one day play for a club like Barça, and since 2005 he has been making his dream come true every day, step by step. From the Barça youth teams, to the first team, to wearing the blaugrana Captain armband. His perseverance, commitment and hard work are inspirational for all the young generations.
Sergio took the time to take a picture with each player and encourage them to keep pursuing their professional soccer careers.
The Barcelona Soccer Experience is a program developed by ISL to provide a professional and international soccer experience that players can’t have access to in the US. As the places are limited, the scouting process is made in collaboration with Barça Academy US, reaching players from all across the country.
The program offers American players and their families an exclusive and unique soccer experience in Barcelona, combining training sessions with official Barça Academy coaches, and competition matches against other Spanish teams. It also includes cultural guided excursions, an exclusive Camp Nou tour, Barça home matches, and many surprises!
For more information about The Barcelona Soccer Experience check https://islagencyold.wpenginepowered.com/travel/
Today, at the Ciudad Deportiva de Valdebebas, the American players participating in ISL’s Madrid Soccer Experience were surprised by the visit of Real Madrid star Lucas Vázquez!
It was a day to remember for the 43 young American players that travelled with ISL to participate in an intensive and exciting soccer experience in Madrid.
Little did they know that after their first training session they were going to meet a professional soccer player from one of the best clubs in the world.
Lucas Vázquez, who also plays for Spain’s national team, arrived with a big smile and took a picture with each player and staff member, while sharing words of encouragement.
With an enviable career, Lucas is a reference for these young kids who share one common dream: to play for a team like Real Madrid.
The Madrid Soccer Experience program offers American players and their families an exclusive and unique soccer experience in Madrid, combining training sessions with matches against other Spanish teams, and guided cultural visits to explore the city.
The experience also includes Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid LaLiga matches, as well as exclusive tours of both clubs’ stadiums – Santiago Bernabéu and Wanda Metropolitano.
In addition, the ISL team makes sure to always prepare something to surprise the players and make their experience even more unforgettable!
Learn more about ISL Experiences and follow us on Instagram! @team_isl
November was a busy month for ISL!
In addition to opening registrations for the 8th Barça Academy Soccer Camps, a program developed with FC Barcelona and Barça Academy, ISL organized three simultaneous soccer events with over 1.000 American young players.
On the weekend of November 20th, ISL kicked off the LaLiga Select Talent ID in New York, the Madrid Soccer Experience and the Barcelona Soccer Experience.
LaLiga Select is LaLiga’s first and only official recruitment program in the US, created, developed and managed exclusively by ISL. Previous Talent IDs have taken place this year in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Canada. LaLiga Select also hosted several Showcases around the US in collaboration with local tournaments and soccer entities.
The selected players from the Talent IDs and the Showcases will be invited for a Showcase in Madrid, where they will be trained and watched by different LaLiga clubs, with the chance of being chosen to participate in a training camp from a LaLiga club.
The Madrid and Barcelona soccer experiences offer young players the chance to live a unique soccer week overseas, training with official coaches in the facilities of Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona. In addition, ISL organizes surprise visits of professional football players to the training sessions of the experieciences – this time, Lucas Vázquez from Real Madrid, and Sergio Busquets from FC Barcelona, came to meet and greet the players and took a picture with each one of them.
These experiences also include several matches against Spanish teams, exclusive stadium tours, guided cultural visits of Madrid and Barcelona, and live matches of all 3 clubs. The “mise en scene” of 3 events of this magnitude in 3 main cities takes years of expertise, as well as the deployment of dedicated teams both on the field and behind the scenes, making sure everything goes according to plan.
In total, more than 1.000 young American players participated in the events, with over 150 coaches and more than 100 staff members. The three events were planned and developed by the ISl team with months of anticipation, in collaboration with LaLiga and LaLiga Academies, FC Barcelona and Barça Academies, Real Madrid, and Atlético de Madrid.
ISL is proud to actively contribute to the development of soccer in the US, by organizing events that offer players unique training and competition opportunities, and give them the chance of traveling overseas and get to know some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Last Tuesday, FC Barcelona player Eric García joined ISL staff and players in the Barcelona Soccer Experience training session at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
It was a surprise for the young American players, who were thrilled to meet the FC Barcelona star!
Just like them, Eric García comes from the Barça schools and his trajectory is an inspiration for the young generations who aspire to become professional soccer players.
The 20-year-old centre back posed for photos with the youngsters and also got the chance to say a few words to them, encouraging them to continue playing the sport and work hard to get better every day.
The visit happened during a training session of the Barcelona Soccer Experience, a program developed by ISL Experience.
This program offers American players and their families an exclusive and unique soccer experience in Barcelona, combining training sessions, competition, cultural visits, a Camp Nou tour, a Barça match, and many surprises!
Stay Tuned! @team_isl
For many the Christmas season is a time to take a break from the busyness of the year and relax with family and loved ones. For others, it’s the chance to experience a once in a lifetime trip to Barcelona with their extended futsal family, all the while taking in rich Spanish culture and showcasing their indoor prowess by playing against the highest level of international competition.
If you didn’t know already, futsal is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing youth sports in America, for boys and girls, and beyond that the U.S. is producing some of the best talent in the world.
As a global sports marketing company, with a heavy focus on soccer, we pride ourselves in being involved in this alternative to the beautiful game, additionally running two successful futsal academies in Austin, TX and Charlotte, NC as part of our portfolio, spearheaded by ISL Director, Adam Brundle.
In the world of Futsal ISL has quickly aligned itself with the game’s heavy hitters, including the USYF and Keith Tozer – the Commissioner of the Professional Futsal League. It was through this relationship that the idea of putting on a trip together for a sizable group of boys and girls in conjunction with USYF to Barcelona was birthed. This is no easy feat, but the task of seasoned professionals like our Travel Management and Experience Team, headed up by Achille Obougou.
From the planning stages to the execution, it all came and went in the blink of an eye. Over the course of 10 days, 250 plus players and family members made the inaugural USYF/ISL joint international trip from different parts of the U.S. to the Catalonian city of Barcelona. Aside from being a highly immersive training and competitive playing trip, where the USYF played the likes of the Catalan National team, players and guests had the chance to take in the historical sights, take an all access tour of Camp Nou, dine at the many wonderful eateries around the city, but best of all they all had the great fortune of being able to participate in a FC Barcelona Futsal – First Team practice, as well as the chance to meet their heroes and grab pictures with them.
“From the time we landed in Barcelona until the time we headed back to the States, the ISL team had seamlessly organized and executed a non-stop, fun and action packed itinerary for the players and family members.” – Keith Tozer. He added, “We are very excited about the partnership the USYF have with ISL, and look forward to many trips together in the near future.”
ISL continues to exceed expectations and clear loftier benchmarks each time a trip is planned and executed. Our ultimate goal for our clients is to give them the chance to make memories that will last a lifetime, and this past week was no exception as our Travel Management Team wrapped up another successful international trip, only this time they were in two separate countries at once. The scale of an undertaking like this can not be understated as ISL Travel Management once again set higher expectations.
That said, over the course of 10 days close to 1,000 players and their family members made the trip from different parts of the U.S. to one of two destinations, Barcelona and Manchester, for a whirlwind of a trip. ISL’s strong partnerships with Manchester City FC and FC Barcelona, it provided opportunities unmatched to anywhere else in the world. Players were treated to training at world class facilities in preparation for tackling top European academies while representing Team ISL, and lastly taking in cultural activities, sightseeing and enjoying local fair.
As soon as it all started, it was quickly over, but not before new friendships were formed over a common passion for the beautiful game, making this trip that much more memorable for all involved.
We love what we do in making an impact on the lives of our clients and we look forward to the next trip coming up soon. See how you too can experience the ISL difference and have the soccer trip of a lifetime with your loved ones.
After months of coordination and planning between several departments at ISL, MIC Football USA officially made its debut this past weekend in South Florida. It signifies a milestone in the continued growth of ISL, and exemplifies the professionalism and quality which MIC Football USA will continue to bring to the youth soccer landscape in the United States.
The inaugural tournament was a huge success, and gave a preview of the future for MIC Football USA in regards to its ability to attract visitors to the South Florida region. Over 900 players and thousands of attendee’s enjoyed a weekend at Central Broward Regional Stadium and Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, filled with highly competitive matches and a soccer experience exported from one of Europes finest youth soccer establishments, MIC Football.
Clubs across U12, U14, and U16 age categories traveled from Colorado, Arizona, New York, Illinois and even featured an international club from the Dominican Republic. Supporters from those clubs tuned in for Live Streamed matches throughout the weekend, attracting over 10,000 Youtube views over 3 days.
Like other large scale events, MIC Football USA required extensive coordination and logistical planning. What takes the tournament to the next level and sets it apart is the professionalism, quality, and delicate brand management when matched up to similar events. ISL are proud of its Event Management team, and all it achieved with MIC Football USA. They will continue to provide an unmatched service, achieving unmatched results.
Legendary players like Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Gerrard Pique have competed in MIC Football in Costa Brava, Spain during its 20 year history. MIC Football USA exports this past and exists with the mission of becoming the most admired youth soccer tournament in America, making Fort Lauderdale a destination for the historic tournament. The tournament has been brought to the United States with the goal of raising the level of professionalism and quality currently seen in Youth Soccer Tournaments, and take the Youth Soccer Tournament landscape to a new level. Most importantly, MIC Football USA will continue providing young players the opportunities to compete against the best teams and players in the world.
Attendees, coaches and players were quick to voice their support of the tournament. Manager and Coach of Verum Academy from Orlando, and Champions of the U14 age group, said “It had everything you wanted out of a soccer experience. Everything was top class from the competition, to the administrative side, to the entertainment. The city is great obviously so we look forward to see it again in the Miami area next year. Now we get to look forward to competing in MIC Football in Spain.”
