His name and image are everywhere. Cristiano Ronaldo is the most iconic figure to emerge from Sporting’s youth system. Opened in June 2002, the Academy was the brainchild of then-president Jose Roquette, who dreamed of making Sporting as sustainable as possible by focusing on players discovered, born, and raised at the club. This vision was also supported by Aurelio Pereira’s remarkable ability to spot talent early, often in the so-called street football that is now almost extinct, but which Sporting strives to recreate at its academy.