Egypt is Building Five Regional Football Talent Development Centres

Egypt is moving towards a nationwide football talent-development system, with plans for five regional centres that will combine elite training, accredited education and professional pathways for young players in Egypt and abroad.

The initiative follows a partnership between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Right to Dream Egypt, which aims to create a unified system for identifying and developing football talent across the country, from the youngest age groups to potential professional careers.

The project will cover five regional development centres in Cairo, Nile Delta, Alexandria, Assiut and Ismailia. The locations are intended to serve different parts of the country, with Cairo covering the largest population centre, Gharbia or Sharqia serving the Delta, Alexandria covering the northern coast, Assiut serving Upper Egypt and Ismailia covering the Canal region.

Each centre is planned as an integrated complex featuring football pitches, a gym, classrooms and educational facilities, medical facilities and accommodation. The centres are expected to open in phases.

Beyond the facilities, the programme will introduce a nationwide scouting network with unified standards for assessing, selecting and documenting young players. Scouts will reach schools, youth centres, community pitches and local competitions across every governorate, connecting local football environments with the regional development centres through one system.

Education will form an equally important part of the programme. Players will receive accredited schooling, coordinated with the Ministry of Education, allowing them to pursue full-time education alongside their football training within the same environment. The model is designed to develop players not only as athletes, but also as students and individuals.

Right to Dream will lead the project's technical, sporting and scouting operations, including talent identification, selection, training, assessment and career management. The Ministry of Youth and Sports will provide, equip and operate the facilities, as well as deliver accredited education within the centres. A joint coordination committee will oversee implementation.

The partnership draws on Right to Dream's talent-development model, which combines specialised football training, education and international professional pathways. The group, owned by Egyptian businessman Sir Mohamed Mansour, has built its approach around identifying young talent and supporting their development both on and off the pitch.

The two parties will now work towards concluding a definitive agreement for the project, which aims to make access to football development less dependent on where a young player grows up and create a clearer route from local discovery to professional opportunities in Egypt and internationally.