San Diego will house Barcelona's sixth United States-based training academy, the club's first FCBEscola on the West Coast, the club has announced.
Last week, Barca announced the opening of an academy in Chicago, following the previous launch of schools in Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; northern Virginia and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
By the start of next season there will be 36 academies spread across five continents, including four in Canada -- there are currently 27 in operation, but the U.S. is now the country with the largest presence of Barcelona football schools.
In addition, the Spanish club have 170 campuses spread around the world, with a presence in over 40 countries and more than 40,000 children taking part in various programs.
The San Diego academy continues Barca's expansion across America, with things accelerating since the September opening of a New York office.
Good Morning, #SanDiego! What a warm reception we have felt! Tryouts are coming up! Sign up today: https://t.co/Te1m7fwPXn #sandiegosoccer pic.twitter.com/LT1c6YZiUY
- FCBEscola San Diego (@FCBEscola_SD) May 9, 2017
In a statement released at the time, Barca explained they wanted the U.S. to provide a "commercial hub for generating new revenue and implementing the strategic plan for the 2016-2021 period, one of the main targets of which is to achieve a turnover of €1 million."
Barca say the San Diego school will have a "charitable component" which will help many less-fortunate children enjoy the project.
Activity in the California city will begin at the end of May, with trials for boys and girls aged 6-16, ahead of the September launch.
Barcelona's La Masia academy in Spain has produced several world-class stars, including Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas, and children across the States will be hoping to follow in their footsteps.
American teenager Ben Lederman is currently playing for the club's Juvenil B team, and he scored the winning goal in a 1-0 win over Figueres at the weekend.