After unveiling the Top 20 organisations across ten different sectors of the sports industry, we have reached the most important shortlist of all: the Top 20 Overall Most Attractive Employers in Sport 2026.
This list represents the ultimate employer-branding benchmark in the global sports industry. The organisations featured here are those that professionals and aspiring professionals from around the world would most like to work for—regardless of category.
Standing out within an individual sector is already a significant achievement. Reaching the Overall Top 20 means capturing the imagination of the sports industry’s workforce across disciplines, markets and professional backgrounds.
The Top 20 Overall Most Attractive Employers in Sport 2026
Presented in alphabetical order, the shortlisted organisations are:
- Adidas
- ATP
- Bayern Munich
- FC Barcelona
- FEI
- FIBA
- FIFA
- Formula 1
- Infront Sports & Media
- IOC
- Juventus FC
- Manchester United
- NBA
- NFL
- Nike
- Real Madrid
- Red Bull
- SPORTFIVE
- The Premier League
- UEFA
The 2026 shortlist presents a remarkably balanced picture of career aspirations across the sports industry.
Five football clubs feature in the Top 20: Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester United and Real Madrid. They are joined by five governing bodies—FEI, FIBA, FIFA, the IOC and UEFA—and five leagues or competition organisers: ATP, Formula 1, the NBA, the NFL and the Premier League.
Adidas and Nike represent the sporting goods industry, while Infront Sports & Media and SPORTFIVE demonstrate the continued strength of sports marketing agencies as employer brands. Red Bull completes the shortlist, reflecting the company’s far-reaching presence across sponsorship, events, teams, media and athlete partnerships.
Together, these organisations illustrate the range of environments in which sports professionals aspire to build their careers—from clubs, federations and leagues to agencies, global brands and rights holders.
What Has Changed Since 2025?
There is considerable continuity at the top, with 15 organisations retaining their places from the 2025 Overall Top 20.
Five organisations enter the shortlist in 2026: ATP, Bayern Munich, FEI, Juventus and the Premier League. They replace AC Milan, Arsenal, Ferrari, Liverpool and Sevilla.
The changes produce a more evenly distributed shortlist than in 2025. Last year’s Overall Top 20 featured seven football clubs, whereas the 2026 selection is shared equally among football clubs, governing bodies, and leagues and competition organisers, with five representatives from each group.
The arrival of ATP and the Premier League strengthens the presence of major competition organisers, while FEI becomes the fifth governing body in the list. Bayern Munich and Juventus ensure that football clubs remain strongly represented despite the category having fewer clubs overall than in 2025.
The final ranking will determine which of these organisations will be named the Most Attractive Employer in Sport for 2026.
How the Overall Top 20 Is Determined
Unlike the category rankings, which allow respondents to select multiple employers from predetermined lists, the Overall ranking is based on one open-ended question: “What would you say is the employer of your dreams in sport?”
No shortlist was provided, and each respondent could name only one organisation. The Overall ranking therefore represents a single, unaided choice across the entire sports industry and should be considered separately from the category rankings.
The names presented above are listed alphabetically and do not represent their final positions.
The complete ranking—and the identity of the Most Attractive Employer in Sport 2026—will be unveiled during the Most Attractive Employers in Sport Awards ceremony on 16 October 2026.
About the Most Attractive Employers in Sport
The Most Attractive Employers in Sport survey, conducted annually by iWorkinSport, asks people working in—or aspiring to work in—the sports industry to identify the organisations they would most like to work for.
The 2026 survey gathered responses from 1,051 participants representing 58 nationalities, reflecting the global nature of the sports industry.
The study provides valuable insights into employer branding in sport and helps organisations understand how they are perceived by the industry’s current and future workforce. Inclusion in the shortlist reflects respondents’ perceptions and preferences and should not be interpreted as an assessment of an organisation’s internal working conditions or employment practices.
About iWorkinSport
iWorkinSport is the leading global platform dedicated to recruitment, career development and education in the sports industry. It connects employers, professionals and academic institutions through recruitment services, career events, industry intelligence and specialised content.
For further information, please contact info@iworkinsport.com.