VCF Academy Canada extends its partnership with Valencia CF | OneFootball

VCF Academy Canada has extended its long-standing partnership with Valencia CF, a collaboration that has been ongoing for over a decade. With this renewal, the Club reinforces its presence in the strategic North American market, which will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup across various venues in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. In addition to VCF Academy Canada, Valencia CF also operates VCF Academies in Houston, Seattle, and Chicago, and will open a new location in Morelia (Mexico) this August.

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A long-standing partnership

VCF Academy Canada was one of the first VCF Academies established in North America and is the only one with a residential program and a permanent staff of Spanish coaches from the VCF Academy.

“It’s been nearly 11 years now with Valencia CF. This is a project we’ve worked hard on from the beginning, and we’re now at a point where we can apply the Valencia CF methodology in a way that fits our reality here in Canada and North America,” explains Chafik Mihoubi, Operations Director of VCF Academy Canada.

Over the past decade, the ties between both sides have grown stronger, with Valencia CF Academy coaches permanently based at the VCF Academy Canada facilities in Montreal. Each season, several groups of players and coaches from VCF Academy Canada travel to Valencia to participate in Training Experience programs or take part in the VCF Academy World Cup, recently held at the Valencia CF Ciudad Deportiva. Additionally, VCF Camps are held during the summer in several locations across Canada.

Training Experience at Valencia CF’s Ciudad Deportiva

“We need to continue developing our players and coaches with the identity and values of the Valencia CF Academy. We’re happy to be here, because being in the city where it all began is incredible,” Mihoubi adds.

Growing steadily

Football continues to gain ground in Canada, one of the host nations for the 2026 World Cup alongside the USA and Mexico. “We’re growing a lot, both in the number of boys and girls, and last season we also launched our first women’s team,” says Paco Juarros, coach at VCF Academy Canada.

Juarros, a Valencia CF Academy coach based in Canada year-round, helps ensure that the club’s renowned methodology—ranked fourth in Europe by the CIES Football Observatory for elite player development—is implemented at the academy.

A key part of that development process is accompanying young players during their experiences in Valencia. “During the Training Experience, they get to live like a footballer in Spain. We want to give them opportunities for a future in football, and these experiences in Valencia help them a lot,” Juarros explains.

A strategic market

“We’re very pleased to continue working with VCF Academy Canada and to strengthen our relationship in such a strategic market like Canada. We’re proud of the work being done and the growth we’ve seen. Our relationship with them is very close and familiar,” says Joan Aguado, Coordinator of VCF Academy Programs.

“We can see the players improving, learning, and enjoying themselves. More and more boys and girls are showing interest in our programs, and for Valencia CF it’s essential to be present in countries like Canada, Mexico, and the USA, all of which will host the 2026 World Cup,” Aguado concludes.

VCF Academy Canada is one of several VCF Academies that Valencia CF operates in strategic markets across the Americas, Asia, and Europe, helping to expand the Club’s global brand.

The VCF Academies, along with the VCF Camps and VCF Elite Camps, technical partners, the VCF Coaches Convention, the VCF Academy World Cup, clinics, and Training Experiences, are just some of the initiatives included in the VCF Academy Programs, which gather over 5,000 players from more than 50 countries every year.