Paris Saint-Germain Launches Multi-City PSG Academy Project in Japan.

Roger Hampel

Image: Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain has announced the launch of a new PSG Academy project in Japan, marking another structural step in the club’s long-term international expansion strategy across Asia.

The initiative will be rolled out across five cities in the Kanto and Tokai regions and developed locally in partnership with Maruhei Co., Ltd. The project is scheduled to begin in April 2026 with four locations — Tokyo, Saitama, Ibaraki and Shizuoka — followed by a fifth site in Chiba in September 2026.

Once fully operational, PSG Academy Japan is expected to serve up to 1,000 players aged 4 to 15, positioning it as one of the club’s most extensive academy projects in Asia.

A Development-Led Expansion Model PSG

The academies will operate under the official PSG Academy framework, delivering year-round football schools and seasonal training camps aligned with the club’s global methodology. Training programmes will be structured across three age segments:

• Pre-school (ages 4–6)

• Juniors (ages 6–12)

• Elites (12+)

All coaching staff will be trained under PSG’s technical standards, with oversight from the club’s sports department in Paris. The curriculum is built around technical development, tactical understanding and non-sporting competencies such as discipline, commitment and teamwork.

From a business perspective, the model mirrors PSG’s broader international approach: combining football development with education, brand transmission and cultural alignment.

Japan as a Strategic Growth Market

Japan has been identified by PSG as a priority market within its Asia-Pacific strategy. Beyond its role as a leading football nation in the region, the country’s sporting culture — often associated with structure, discipline and technical excellence — closely aligns with PSG’s positioning.

The academy launch builds on PSG’s existing footprint in Japan, which already includes:

• three retail stores

• one official supporters’ club

• summer tours in 2022 and 2023

By adding a permanent grassroots and youth-development presence, PSG moves deeper into the local football ecosystem, extending fan engagement beyond retail, media and touring activities.

Executive Comments

Takaaki Hirabayashi, President of PSG Academy Japan, described the project as a long-term investment in youth development:

“Through PSG Academy Japan, our ambition is to enable young Japanese girls and boys who are passionate about football to develop their skills through a unique and innovative programme, designed in collaboration with Paris Saint-Germain’s sporting experts.”

Former PSG player and club legend Claude Makélélé highlighted the educational dimension of the project:

“Learning discipline, commitment, effort and team spirit is essential for a young person’s development. This is the true value of a programme like the one offered by PSG Academy.”

From the club’s international perspective, Sébastien Wasels, Asia-Pacific Director at PSG, underlined Japan’s role within the wider regional strategy:

“Japan plays a central role in this dynamic, and this PSG Academy is an additional asset in our ambition to grow closer to all our fans worldwide.”

Nadia Benmokhtar, PSG’s Diversification Director, added that the Japan project strengthens one of the club’s largest global assets — its academy network, which now spans 22 countries and nearly 200 training sites, serving more than 50,000 young players annually.