Right to Dream Academy was founded in 1999 by Tom Vernon, who had been Manchester United's head scout in Africa.

the Mansour Group also financed an expansion team in Major League Soccer that will begin play in 2025 and be based in San Diego, California.

The team, named San Diego FC, will construct a Right to Dream academy near El Cajon, California.

[33] The academy has won the African championship and thus retained the right to represent Africa each year since the 2008 edition.

[34][better source needed] Right to Dream has achieved five top-eight finishes in the World Finals of the Manchester United Premier Cup, playing the best football teams from Manchester United, Juventus, Paris Saint Germain and Real Madrid.

[38] In 2015, Right to Dream won the Manchester United Premier Cup world finals for the first time in their history.

[42][43] In 2016, Right to Dream U17 finished in 6th place at the 7th edition of the ABN AMRO Future Cup in Amsterdam.

Scholarships are granted to Africans, both boys and girls, to study at the purpose-built Academy, located on the banks of the Volta River.

[45] Every two years, 15–20 students are selected out of 30,000 trialists and assessed both on their athletic ability and their academic performance to study and train at the Academy on 100% scholarships.