The present study aimed to identify and explain the process of football players’ transition from academies to the professional level in Iranian Premier League clubs. In terms of purpose, the research is applied, and in terms of nature, it is qualitative, employing a thematic analysis approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 experts in the field of football, including club CEOs and academy directors, coaches, talent scouts, football instructors, and university faculty members, who were selected through purposive sampling.

Systematic analysis of the data using MAXQDA software resulted in the identification of 91 open codes, 20 sub-themes, and 5 main themes. The findings indicated that the barriers and drivers of this process can be explained within five fundamental dimensions: “governance and economic crises in talent development,” “blockages in the talent transition process,” “cultural gaps and human capital loss,” “players’ psychological self-regulation challenges,” and “strategies for reengineering the talent development system.”

Based on the results, the successful transition of players from academies to the professional level requires the establishment of an integrated talent development system within football clubs. Such a system should emphasize long-term planning, structural support for young players, the provision of gradual opportunities for participation at the professional level, and the strengthening of connections between academies and senior teams.