Herzogenaurach, Germany, 27 July, 2026 – Global sports company PUMA brought together 25 of its most promising young footballers for a two-day training camp at Quinta do Lago, Portugal – the ULTRA Next Wave Campus, marking the first chapter of Next Wave FC, PUMA’s new platform dedicated to developing the game’s next generation.
Next Wave FC is PUMA’s commitment to the next generation of football talent: the academy graduates, the breakthrough players, the names that will define the game in 2030 and beyond. Twenty-five players – male and female – arrived at Quinta do Lago on 2nd and 3rd June wearing the new ULTRA NITRO™ 7.
Johan Adamsson, Vice President Sports Marketing & Sports Licensing at PUMA, said:”Next Wave FC is about identifying and investing in the players who are going to shape football over the next decade. The ULTRA Next Wave Campus was the start of that – bringing them together, putting the ULTRA NITRO™ 7 on their feet, and surrounding them with the expertise to help them reach the next level. We strongly believe in these players, and we wanted them to feel that.”
Alongside them: Raphaël Varane – World Cup winner and four-time Champions League winner, and Eugénie Le Sommer – eight-time Champions League winner and France’s all-time leading scorer with 94 international goals, took to the pitch to coach, mentor, and share what it actually takes to reach the top.
Speaking about the training camp, Varane said: “The time before pre-season is a great opportunity for young players to build good habits. Football is about much more than talent – it is about preparation, discipline and having the right mindset. It was a pleasure to spend time with some of PUMA’s best young players at the ULTRA Campus in Portugal, sharing some of my experiences of dealing with pressure and giving them a few tips on how to keep improving day after day. They have a bright future ahead if they continue to work with the same commitment.”
The programme covered every dimension of elite performance. Head coach Dan Edwards led on-pitch sessions alongside coaches Pablo Blackwood and Harrison Hollis. Kira Meenke – private chef and nutrition specialist to professional footballers across Europe’s top leagues – ran sessions on fuelling for performance. Sports psychologist Mark Keep, who works with the academy teams at Manchester City, led a mindset talk that cut to the heart of what separates good players from great ones. Throughout the camp, players took part in foot-scanning, product testing, and feedback sessions, giving PUMA direct insight from the next generation of ULTRA athletes. The goal was simple: send them into the new season sharper, stronger, and ready.
