Capital Football

The Talent Development Scheme (TDS) is a FIFA led initive that will offer "a tailor-made concept for each country on how best to operate to give every talent a chance".

The TDS aims to create a sustainable legacy for long-term talent development by maximising each participating Member Assosication's (MA, e.g. NZF) opportunities, as identified in their individual Ecosystem Analysis report. In doing so, FIFA will support each participating MA to reach its full potential and give every talent a chance.

The TDS provides bespoke consultancy services for the long-term collaboration on talent development based upon four pillars of support.

Funding
Dedicated resources to support the above activities and promote a long-term collaboration with a view to establishing a strategic talent development plan.
Expertise
Bespoke guidance delivered by leading specialists to help each MA to create a state-of-the-art and tailormade talent development programme.
Knowledge Exhange
To enable collaboration between MAs to allow them to address common challenges and discover potential solutions facilitated by FIFA’s specialists.
Training and Education
Delivered on-site and online through the recently launched FIFA Training Centre to provide knowledge and insights into the six key areas identified in the ESA Benefits of the TDS.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NZF & WPX Talent Development Scheme partnership?

The partnership, which is supported by FIFA, will see NZF and WPX collaborating on a talent development system to maximise the impact of both parties’ resources, aligning with the New Zealand Football High Performance and Talent Development Plan to support New Zealand’s best football talent.
Included in the partnership is NZF supporting scholarship positions at the Wellington Phoenix Academy for Kiwi talent, and steps to align the development pathway for players from the domestic game to the A-Leagues and beyond.
NZF are also in discussions on a talent development partnership with Auckland FC that would further strengthen talent development across the country.

The partnership has been agreed for an initial two-year term and comes into effect immediately, September 2024.

How does it affect Capital Football clubs and what are the benefits?

The WPX operates out of the Capital Football region and has teams partaking in competitions via a Partnership Agreement. The Partnership Agreement defines how many teams and players the WPX can operate.

The WPX has enjoyed a positive relationship with many clubs in the region and sees the Talent Development Scheme partnership as an opportunity to give back to clubs. Clubs will have the opportunity to engage directly with the WPX to access support and resource across many areas of the game e.g. player welfare, coach mentoring, female specific education etc.

Clubs who would like to take up this opportunity are encouraged to reach out directly to the WPX.

What age group of players is this applicable to?

The Talent Development Scheme is only available to players 14 years plus. The WPX is only able to recruit players as young as 14 years old. Support from WPX to clubs will be targeted in the youth space (13 to 18 years old).

What is the Partnership Agreement between Capital Football and WPX?

Capital Football and WPX have a Partnership Agreement in place which determines how many teams are able to compete in youth and senior competitions, as well as putting a limit on the number of players the WPX Academy is able to host.

Why is the Talent Development Scheme only available to WPX and Auckland FC?

The FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) funding is only applicable to Member Associations (NZF) working with professional clubs. The funds are not available for Federations or clubs to access.

Will Auckland FC have the same Talent Development Scheme agreement that NZF and WPX operate?

NZF’s intent is to have a TDS with Auckland FC as well. However, being a brand-new club and in a different stage of their evolution the TDS between NZF and Auckland FC will be different to the agreement between NZF and the WPX.

What does this mean for the player pathway?

This presents an opportunity for the player pathway to be further defined. The professional clubs, WPX and Auckland FC sit in High Performance, alongside the NZF Senior National Teams and U20’s. Talent Development still occurs in clubs via the Talent Development Programme, Federations for the girls U18’s, and NZF U17 Teams.

Do talented young players need to join the WPX or Auckland FC?

No. As professional clubs, WPX and Auckland FC sit in the High-Performance part of the player pathway, however it is important to recognise that for every individual player their development needs to be where is most appropriate for them. This will be different depending on several factors, including the age of the player, where they live, which competition(s) they are comfortable playing in, education preferences etc.

Every player should be suitably supported wherever this means they sit in the player pathway. Clarification of the player pathway though should bring confidence to players that what they will experience in a High Performance environment is of a level which cannot be catered for in the talent development pathway.