The 2026 SportBusiness Global rankings recognize Johan Cruyff Institute’s Master’s Degree in Sport Management Online as the No. 1 program in Europe and the No. 2 program in the world among online programs.
The Master’s Degree in Sport Management Online at Johan Cruyff Institute, continues to rank among the world’s leading specialized sport management programs, according to the results of the 2026 SportBusiness Global rankings.
In this edition, the Master’s Degree in Sport Management Online ranks No. 1 in Europe for online education. In the online programs category, it ranks No. 2 worldwide, moving up one position from the previous year. In the overall ranking, the program ranks No. 13.
The on-campus Master’s program also appears in the ranking, placing in the Top 40 of the best academic programs worldwide and the Top 10 in Europe.
SportBusiness Global 2026 further strengthens the Master Degree in Sport Management Online’s position
Fifteen years ago, Johan Cruyff Institute first appeared in SportBusiness Global, one of the world’s most prestigious rankings of sport management education. Since then, it has not only maintained its presence but has consistently ranked among the top positions, despite the growing level of competition in the sector.
The SportBusiness Global rankings are based on two comprehensive surveys conducted among program managers and alumni who graduated three years prior to the publication of the ranking. The evaluation for this edition is therefore based on responses collected following the completion of the 2023 academic year.
Key factors behind the recognition
For the Master’s Degree in Sport Management Online, the ranking particularly highlights two aspects:
- Professional mentoring, based on the learning by doing methodology, which enables students to apply the knowledge they acquire through real-world projects and respond to the needs of the sports industry.
- Faculty quality, combining academic profiles with active professionals working in the sports industry.
The graduates’ experience
Lucas Faggiano, a graduate of the Master’s Degree in Sport Management Online and professional basketball player, highlights the impact the program had on his career:
“This program gave me a broad and in-depth perspective on sport. As an athlete, you don’t usually see everything that happens behind an event. I discovered the scale of the behind-the-scenes work that makes everything possible.”
Julieta Franco is a Johan Cruyff Institute graduate and currently leads the women’s field hockey program at Real Club de Polo de Barcelona. She highlights the boost the program has given her professional career:
“The education I received at Johan Cruyff Institute was not only theoretical; it has also given me the tools I need to meet the demands of my current position.”
Jose Martín Alva Jhon, a graduate of the Master in Sport Management Barcelona, works as an Event Planner at The IRONMAN Group and as Marketing Director at Alcantara Family Foundation:
“My experience at Johan Cruyff Institute helped me understand the business model I currently work in and identify problems in order to provide solutions.”
Recognition of teamwork
Albert Romans, General Manager at Johan Cruyff Institute, highlights the work of the academic team behind this achievement: “This SportBusiness recognition is the result of the ongoing work of the entire academic team, whose goal is to provide the highest-quality education, with a practical approach tailored to the needs of the sports industry.”
Lukas Dorda, Associate Academic Director, highlights personalized guidance and the ability to adapt to each student’s needs as some of the key factors behind maintaining a top position in the SportBusiness International rankings: “At Johan Cruyff Institute, we were pioneers in offering online education in sport management. Paving the way was not easy, and staying at the forefront is even more challenging”
“It is truly rewarding to see our main strengths recognized, such as personalized guidance—or, rather, the ‘human touch,’ which we consider fundamental and one of our distinctive characteristics—as well as our ability to adapt to each student’s personal circumstances.”
