Description

Masterclass: The Playbook for National Football Talent Identification

23 March 2026, 19.30-21.00 CET – DKK 179 / €24.95

Insider strategies from Saudi Arabia, Qatar & Singapore on building a world-class talent pipeline

Duration:
50-55 minute masterclass + 25-30 minute in-depth Q&A

Ideal for:
National federations • Football associations • Youth academy directors • Technical directors • Elite scouts • Coach educators

Build a National Talent ID System That Actually Works

How do successful football nations consistently identify and develop elite players — while others rely on luck?

In this exclusive online masterclass, Kenneth Santa, UEFA Elite Scout and UEFA A Licence Coach, shares real-world insights from over 15 years of experience in football scouting, coaching, and talent development across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Drawing on work at FC Copenhagen and Brøndby IF (Denmark), The National Football Academy in Saudi Arabia (Mahd Academy), Aspire Academy (Qatar), and the Football Association of Singapore, this masterclass delivers a practical, proven blueprint for designing, implementing, and sustaining a national football talent identification framework.

This is not theory. It’s a playbook built from real challenges, real mistakes, and real solutions.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this masterclass, you will understand how to:

• Design a structured, repeatable, and scalable national talent ID framework
• Identify long-term potential, not just current performance
• Align scouting, coaching, and player development across regions and age groups
• Build effective age-group pathways (U10 → U23)
• Combine data, observation, and expert intuition for better decision-making
• Educate and upskill scouts, coaches, and football stakeholders for consistency and sustainability
• Avoid common pitfalls that cause national talent systems to fail

Inside the Masterclass

Why National Talent Identification Matters
Understand why unstructured scouting misses talent — and how a national framework transforms player development outcomes.

Core Principles of Elite Talent ID Systems
Vision, pathways, talent vs performance, and how to integrate data with live scouting.

What Scouts Really Look For
A clear breakdown of the four evaluation pillars:

• Physical
• Technical
• Tactical
• Psychological
  —and how evaluation priorities shift by age group and position.

Real Case Studies: Saudi Arabia, Qatar & Singapore
Behind-the-scenes lessons from three contrasting football environments:

• Scaling scouting across a large national player pool (Saudi Arabia)
• Improving objectivity and benchmarking in elite academies (Qatar)
• Building sustainable systems through education and structure (Singapore)

Phase 1 & Phase 2 Benchmarking Framework
How structured reporting creates clarity, consistency, and better decision-making.

Step-by-Step Implementation Roadmap
From regional scouting hubs and national trials to scout education and player monitoring.

Common Pitfalls & Key Takeaways
What to avoid, what to prioritise, and how to future-proof your national talent ID system.

Live Q&A: Apply It to Your Country

The masterclass concludes with a 20–30 minute interactive Q&A, where participants can ask questions about:

• Adapting frameworks to local culture and resources
• Scaling with limited budgets
• Scout and coach education pathways
• Implementing benchmarking and reporting systems

Participants leave with clear, actionable ideas ready to implement immediately.

About the Presenter

Kenneth Santa is a highly experienced football scouting and talent identification specialist, holding both UEFA Elite Scout accreditation and a UEFA A Coaching Licence.

He has worked at the highest levels of youth and national football development across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, including:

• Head of Talent Identification – Football Association of Singapore, where he established and led the national talent ID department and education initiatives
• Scouting Manager – Mahd Academy, the national football academy in Saudi Arabia, building structured scouting systems and regional talent programmes
• National Scout – Qatar FA / Aspire Academy, contributing to elite player benchmarking and development pathways
• European Scout – Wolverhampton Wanderers, focusing on identifying players aged 14–19 across Scandinavia
• Earlier roles in Danish football with Brøndby IF, FC Nordsjælland, and FC Copenhagen

Kenneth specialises in building structured, sustainable national talent identification frameworks, educating scouts and coaches, and helping football organisations move from chance-based scouting to systematic, repeatable excellence.

How to Access

Once your payment has been successfully processed, you will receive an email with full details on how to join the Zoom masterclass.

Please note: Payments are non-refundable, except in the event that the masterclass is cancelled by the organiser.