Barcelona agree five-year deal with Brazil’s Sfera FC to target young talent

Barcelona have agreed a five-year partnership with Brazilian club Sfera FC as part of a plan to identify and develop some of the country’s most promising young players.

The agreement, reported by Spanish newspaper Marca, will focus on player development and education at Sfera FC, which is based in Sao Paulo. It gives Barcelona priority when it comes to signing the Brazilian club’s players who are considered a suitable fit for their footballing philosophy and identity.

Barcelona will assess players they believe could succeed at Spotify Camp Nou and in European football. Those selected through the partnership will move to the club’s La Masia academy, where they will train and be evaluated by Barcelona’s coaching staff.

Sfera FC will retain a share of the players’ rights under the agreement. The Brazilian club will also be entitled to a percentage of any future transfer deals involving those players.

The partnership was completed with the involvement of Barcelona sporting director Deco and Bojan Krkic. Deco visited Sfera FC’s facilities several months ago, allowing him to examine the club’s working methods and approach to player development at close quarters.

“Brazil is one of the leading countries exporting players to clubs around the world, which is why we strongly believe in the benefits of having a partner who can strengthen the process of discovering young Brazilian talent for Barcelona,” said Deco.

“We found Sfera to have a modern system for identifying and developing athletes. That led us to establish this partnership, which now allows us to improve our talent recruitment process and exchange expertise.”

The move continues Barcelona’s investment in young players and gives the club a formal route into Sfera FC’s development structure. It is intended to help Barcelona identify players at an early stage and provide them with access to the club’s academy before any potential move to the first team or a European club environment.

The article’s fixture information also lists Barcelona in La Liga against Villarreal on 22 November 2026.