Manchester City, PUMA and Charlotte Soccer Academy Launch Youth Development Collaboration in the United States.

Roger Hampel

Image: Manchester City

Manchester City has announced a new youth development collaboration with Charlotte Soccer Academy (CSA) and global sportswear partner PUMA, strengthening the club’s long-term strategy of expanding its football education and grassroots presence in the United States.

The initiative will see Manchester City embed its coaching methodology directly within Charlotte Soccer Academy, one of PUMA’s most strategically positioned youth partners globally. The programme represents an effort to create a continuous development pathway connecting grassroots soccer structures in the U.S. with elite European training frameworks.

Embedding Manchester City’s Development Model Within a U.S. Youth Academy

Under the agreement, two full-time Manchester City coaches will relocate to Charlotte to work directly with CSA’s leadership and coaching staff. Their role will be to implement Manchester City’s development philosophy and training structure across the academy’s youth programmes.

The primary technical focus will centre on CSA’s Foundation Phase (U10–U12) within the Pre-ECNL competition structure. The collaboration aims to integrate Manchester City’s “Play Model” and teaching methodology into the academy’s daily training environment, emphasising technical development, tactical awareness and decision-making at early stages of player development.

Beyond the Foundation Phase programme, Manchester City staff will support coaching education, curriculum alignment and the exchange of best practices across CSA’s wider development structure.

The initiative also includes annual opportunities for selected CSA players to travel to Manchester for competitive matches and development experiences.

Strategic Context: Grassroots Expansion in the U.S.

The partnership reflects Manchester City’s broader effort to increase its footprint in American youth soccer — a market that continues to grow in commercial and sporting importance ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

For PUMA, which maintains long-term commercial partnerships with both Manchester City and Charlotte Soccer Academy, the project strengthens its positioning within youth football ecosystems by supporting development programmes tied to elite club methodologies. For CSA, the agreement introduces direct access to Manchester City’s training framework, integrating professional development standards into a grassroots academy environment.

Executive Comments

Jorgina Busquets, Managing Director – Football Education, Recreation & Partner Clubs at City Football Group, said the initiative is designed to bring Manchester City’s development philosophy into a permanent grassroots environment:

“By embedding Manchester City coaches full-time within a leading grassroots club, we are creating an authentic environment where our coaching methodology can be delivered every day, not just in short bursts.”

Busquets added that the project reflects Manchester City’s intention to deepen its role in youth development within the United States:

“Manchester City is committed to increasing its presence in youth soccer in the USA. This is the next step on the journey.”

Brad Wylde, Executive Director of Charlotte Soccer Academy, described the partnership as a major step forward for the academy’s development structure:

“Manchester City’s staff will be working not only with our Pre-ECNL teams but also across all of CSA’s U9-U12 competitive programming, adding tremendous value to every part of our youth development pathway.”

Seamus Deegan, Vice President Marketing at PUMA North America, said the collaboration aligns with the brand’s strategy of supporting youth athlete development:

“Integrating Manchester City’s coaching approach within CSA elevates the standard of youth development and creates new opportunities for youth players across the U.S.”

Expanding the Global Youth Football Ecosystem

The programme will begin impacting CSA operations from the upcoming season, with Manchester City coaches working daily in Charlotte alongside the academy’s staff.

The collaboration highlights a broader trend across global football: leading clubs increasingly extending their technical methodologies into international grassroots structures, combining coaching education, brand expansion and youth development within new football markets.