The FIFA Master, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, has been named the number one Postgraduate Sports Management course in Europe for a record 13th time in new course rankings published by SportBusiness for 2025.

The course was created in 2000 to promote management education within the sports world and has now firmly established itself as one of the most respected in international sport business education, developing all-round managers who can cope with the increasingly complex world of sport. The FIFA Master is organised by the Neuchâtel-based International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) in partnership with three universities: De Montfort University in Leicester, United Kingdom; SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy; and the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Students graduate after successfully completing four modules — Humanities, Management, Law, and a Final Project — within the one-academic-year programme. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who attended the graduation ceremony of the 25th edition as patron in July, recently welcomed attendees of the FIFA Master 25 Years: Sport & Future Conference to the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, as part of the anniversary celebration.

The FIFA Master now has over 700 alumni, representing more than 120 nationalities. Ninety per cent of them are active in the sports industry, including around 350 in football, with 75 working at FIFA. Nearly 240 female students from around the world have graduated and are now working in the global sports industry. Reflecting on the ranking announcement, President of the FIFA Master Scientific Committee, Professor Thomas Probst said: “Congratulations to everybody who has supported the FIFA Master: from academic partners and guest speakers to our field visit destinations and FIFA. The Scientific Committee is extremely proud of everything that we have achieved together.”

The official application portal for the next edition of the award winning FIFA Master is now open. Please note that the deadline for applying to the 27th Edition (2025-2026) of the FIFA Master is midday (12pm) Central European Time on Friday, 9 January 2026.