Brazilian teenager Leo Veiga secured a youth contract with Italian second-division club Spezia after showcasing his football skills through an AI-powered app from Swiss company Footbao [1, 2, 3].
Veiga uploaded smartphone videos of his football skills to the Footbao app and ranked among the highest scorers in its YouTube video contest. This performance earned him a training opportunity with Italian club Lecce prior to signing with Spezia's youth academy [1, 2, 3]. Reflecting on his experience, Veiga said, "AI opened a new door. I thought, 'I’m going to download the app and give it a try. If nothing happens, it doesn’t matter because nothing else is working out for me. But what if something does happen'?" [1]
Footbao, founded in 2023, has become popular in South America, particularly Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina. Around 120,000 players have used the app, mostly in Brazil. The company estimates it has identified 14,000 to 15,000 players with potential to join professional clubs or youth academies [1, 2]. Footbao CEO Nick Rappolt said, "There are probably between 14,000 and 15,000 players with the potential to join clubs or academies. AI can 'democratise' football by helping identify talent that lies outside the radar of major development centres." [1]
AI-powered apps like Footbao and Germany's CUJU aim to uncover hidden talent outside traditional scouting networks. CUJU launched its own video analysis app in 2025, which has been downloaded around 160,000 times [1, 2]. CUJU's marketing director Sven Muller said, "Professional clubs have huge databases, but they mostly contain players who have already been scouted. There is no reliable data on talent at the earliest stages. The goal is to turn 'simple videos recorded on a phone' into 'reliable performance data'." [1]
Veiga's signing with Spezia illustrates how AI technologies can open doors for young players from countries often overlooked by traditional scouts. Spezia's youth academy will provide a platform for Veiga to develop his talent in European football [1, 2, 3].
