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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.
La Liga Select is the first official LaLiga platform to recruit talent in the United States.
This project gives young players with ages between 13 to 18, the opportunity to showcase their talent and start a professional soccer career in a LaLiga youth club.
LaLiga Select will open the doors of European soccer to American players, creating a quality reference in US soccer, while positioning Spain as an attractive market for young US players.
As soon as the announcement of this unprecedented initiative was made official by LaLiga, several media outlets picked up the news and communicated it around the world, valuing the contribution of ISL and LaLiga to the development of American soccer and to bringing countries together through sports.
In Spain, home country of La Liga, the main sports media like Mundo Deportivo and AS gave a full page coverage to the story, while in the United States prominent informative platforms such as yahoo! finance or ESPN Deportes delivered the news highlighting the positive impact La Liga Select will have on US soccer.
The press coverage of LaLiga Select reached over 50 media outlets and 113 Million visitors in 4 different continents. Below are the major publication covering the launch of LaLiga Next:
Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/laliga-north-america-creates-platform-154000374.html
ESPN Deportes: https://espndeportes.espn.com/futbol/espana/nota/_/id/8034001/laliga-lanza-programa-captar-talento-juvenil-estados-unidos
Mundo Deportivo: https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/20210114/491562506918/laliga-proyecta-captar-talento-en-estados-unidos.html
Sports Finding: https://sportsfinding.com/laliga-plans-to-attract-talent-in-the-united-states/78129/
US AS: https://us.as.com/us/2021/01/14/futbol/1610650465_385309.html#menu
During a press conference in Barcelona today, MIC Sports and ISL officially announce their formal agreement. The agreement see’s ISL acquire the rights to host and manage the worlds most prominent International youth soccer tournament to the United States, the Mediterranean International Cup. Tournament ambassador Marc Bartra, and former participant of the Mediterranean International Cup, was alongside the two partners supporting the new venture.
ISL Co-Founder and CEO Alex Isern said of the agreement “We are very excited to bring to the US one of the best youth soccer tournaments in the world. It will be a pleasure to work with a great organization like MIC Sports and together we will form a very powerful team. We have been working on this project for a long time and we are thrilled to say it will be a reality at the end of this year. We believe it’s a great opportunity for American teams to participate in a world class event that has hosted world class soccer stars like Messi, Neymar, Piqué.”
ISL are delighted to bring the MIC, short for Mediterranean International Cup, to the United States. The 19 year old tournament is considered the worlds most prestigious youth soccer tournament and is headed into its milestone 20th year. Over the course of nearly two decades, tens of thousands of players from around the world have participated, and countless of the game’s modern stars found the tournament to be the launching pad for their early careers. MIC USA will bring a distinguished level of professionalism to the youth soccer tournament scene in the United States, and has the vision of being the destination event for years to come.
The inaugural American event will take place in late 2019 in Florida, and will be held annually. The tournament was originated with one vision, to provide the opportunity for young players to participate against the worlds best teams and players. ISL are now seeking valued partners and sponsors to support the tournaments vision in the United States.
With the recent announcement of the 2019 International Champions Cup (ICC) fixtures around the world, American fans of the worlds game can look forward to seeing world class soccer at their doorstep. The annual summer club competition is now in its 7th edition, and is now crucial for the next generation of young players around the world, and even more so in the United States.
ISL is rooted in the beautiful game across the United States and around the world, so as a company we couldn’t be more excited for the ICC’s return. Soccer is wildly popular in America and it’s only getting bigger. From youth academies, collegiate teams, the USL, NWSL, and the MLS, the game has taken a foothold at all levels.
As the growth of the game continues throughout the United States, ISL are privileged to be a part of the future of the game. Our strong partnerships around the world allow us to provide services that connect the American market to the highest levels of the game. A perfect example are the competitions Team ISL players compete in against some of the top youth club teams around the world. Our Travel Management Group make it all possible for Team ISL to compete in youth International Tournaments like the Mediterranean International Cup (MIC), similar to the ICC.
International Competitions like the ICC, and the MIC are events that will continue to improve the game in the United States. ISL are committed to continuing this growth, and making dreams a reality for young players.
In early January, the ISL team attended United Soccer Coaches Convention in Chicago, IL. It’s an excellent opportunity to connect with brands, clubs, technology startups, and other major players in the soccer industry across the United States and around the world. Our executives spent their time in meetings, connecting with new leads, and drinking too much coffee.
Apart from being over caffeinated, ISL also had a booth set up on the convention floor. In mid 2018, ISL went through a major rebrand effort, and it was a wonderful way to introduce the new brand to the Soccer Industry. Apart from introducing the new brand, ISL were also showcasing its travel management services. ISL provide opportunities for players to compete against European competition and experience new cultures that broaden young players horizons. ISL’s travel management team also provide services to partners or clients aiding in logistical headaches that come with large scale trips. We can help if you manage large scale trips.
Check out some of the event highlights tracked through social media during the event!
Get in contact with someone from our travel management team at Experience@islagency-old.nntesting.com for more information on how we can help mange your next major travel plans.
In mid November of 2018, ISL had the opportunity to attend of the most prestigious sports business conferences in the world, Soccerex USA.
Soccerex USA, taking place in Miami, Florida, was an awesome event, and provided some great insight into where the industry of Soccer around the globe, specifically in the United States, is headed. Read up on some of the major insights ISL discovered, as well as some of the social media highlights around the Soccerex community:
The key indicator of how serious leaders of the worlds game are taking the women’s game, is the separation of team assets. Media rights and sponsorship have been parceled out separately at clubs around the world. In the past, assets associated with a club’s Women’s team would be perceived as an “add on” to the men’s team, whereas now they are their own outright asset for sale for major clubs.
The overarching theme taken away from the event was the seriousness in the interest of the game in the United States. We’ve always heard soccer called “The Worlds Game”, when in reality it was more like “The Worlds Game Minus The United States”. But now, you can feel the interest from international clubs and federations in capitalizing on the commercialization of the American market. Excited to see how it continues to develop.
The value of high quality contacts made while at Soccerex is phenomenal. As mentioned, you’re constantly meeting new folks, and you don’t have the time to realize how many contacts you’re really meeting until once you get home. Not only is it a lot, they are high quality, and could potentially help drive your business in the future.
This past fall, 77 girls from across the United States experienced a trip of a lifetime during the first all girls Barcelona Experience program. Over the 9 day trip, the group of girls enjoyed elite European training at World Class facilities, competed against European academies, learned from the teachings of leaders in the game, and explored the beautiful culture of Barcelona.
Equality in sport is of key importance to the ISL, and the ISL Travel Management team. It was an event to remember, and it won’t be the last.
Get in contact with someone from our travel management team at Experience@islagency-old.nntesting.com for more information on how we can help mange your next major travel plans.
