The best Porto academy graduates since 2014 as club renames youth team training facilities 'New Balance Park'

One such player is Fabio Vieira. Born a short distance from the city, Vieira was snapped up by FC Porto as a youngster and enjoyed a rapid rise through the age groups. He was part of the team that won a highly-competitive 2019 UEFA Youth League, even scoring the opening goal against Chelsea in the final. Conor Gallagher, Marc Guehi and Tariq Lamptey were among the young Blues who lost that game, proving how good that FC Porto side was.

Vieira soon broke into the first team and helped the Dragons win Primeira Liga titles in 2020 and 2022 before sealing a move to Arsenal.

Vitinha graduated into the FC Porto first team in 2020, vindicating his decision to turn down an approach from fierce rivals Benfica as a youngster. Premier League side Wolves were impressed by the midfielder and took him on loan for the 2020-21 season, though the move was not made permanent - much to the delight of Porto fans, some of whom wrote an open letter to the club urging them not to sell the prospect.

The supporters' faith in Vitinha was justified the following season as he became a mainstay of the Porto side that won the title in 2022, scooping the Primeira Liga's Young Player of the Year award. He earned a big move to Paris Saint-Germain the following summer.

Born in nearby Braga, Diogo Dalot resisted the pull of his hometown club and signed with FC Porto aged just nine. He helped his side clinch the league title in 2018 - albeit only making six appearances - while also starring in the UEFA Youth League.

Dalot would have no doubt gone on to become an icon at the Dragão, but Manchester United intervened, signing him in summer 2018. He's endured a mixed time since, but is now one of the club's longest-serving players. Dalot has also been capped 16 times by his country.

RubenNeves was recognised as one of Portugal's hottest talents at a very young age - and he was made in FC Porto. In 2014, he was named in the European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament and a few months later he was crowned the country's Young Prospect of the year.

By the time he departed the club for Wolves in 2014, he had racked up nearly 100 first-team appearances for the Dragons and already earned a senior international cap.

Neves' exit for the then-Championship club attracted headlines - but it probably paid off in the long run. Wolves romped to the title in his maiden campaign and he found no issue stepping up in the Premier League. These days, he is playing for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

A relatively late arrival to the FC Porto youth system at 15, this did not stop Andre Silva making an immediate impact when he was thrusted into the limelight. After struggling to force his way into first-team contention, Silva would become a regular during the 2016-17 season, finishing that campaign with 16 league goals.

This breakout year started a process of Silva bouncing between various European clubs. AC Milan were the first to take a chance on the centre-forward and he has since taken in spells at Sevilla, Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig. He's now on loan at Real Sociedad.

FC Porto don't just sell their youth-team stars for big profits, though. There is also a clear pathway to the senior squad if players opt to stick around. During their recent Champions League clash with Barcelona at a sold-out Dragão - which they were unfortunate to lose 1-0 - a total of three academy graduates started: Diogo Costa, Romário Baró and João Mário, while another, Francisco Conceicao, came off the bench. And the production line shows little sign of slowing down now that New Balance have recommitted its support to the club's youth academy.

"With New Balance, we've found a partner who is strongly committed to us," Albuquerque added. "We are a challenging club, just as New Balance is in its sector. We're constantly challenging each other, which catapults us to the level we want to reach, achieving new goals and objectives."

So, who could be the next star that emerges from the youth academy? Well, Porto should certainly be getting excited about Rodrigo Mora, who became the youngest player to play professionally in Portugal back in January 2023 when he came on as a sub in a B-team game. Comfortable playing across the forward line, he is an exciting talent typical of the sort of player Porto have produced with metronomic regularity in recent times.