Internship Fields
Work With Professional Teams in Spain Through Sports Internships
Spain is one of the greatest sports countries, home to iconic football clubs, basketball dynasties, and sports companies. If you’ve dreamed of working in that world, a sports internship abroad with Adelante is your way in.
Adelante Abroad places sports-passionate candidates inside professional football (soccer) clubs, first-division basketball teams, sports marketing companies, and broadcasting organizations across Madrid and Barcelona. Whether you’re working the sidelines at training sessions, supporting the marketing team of a La Liga club, or helping organize events for a sports brand, you’ll be gaining real professional experience in the sports industry — in one of the best cities in the world to do it.
Our sports internships abroad are available year-round, including summer, and are open to candidates from any academic background with a genuine passion for sport and the drive to work in the industry. A low intermediate Spanish speaking level is needed to be placed in this program.
The sports industry is global, and those who succeed in it know this well. Here’s why candidates focused on sports choose to intern abroad:
Our football and basketball placements put you directly in first and second-division clubs in Spain, one of the world’s top sports markets.
From marketing and broadcasting to coaching support, translation, and event management, sports internships abroad offer a wide range of experiences.
Bilingual professionals are in high demand across the global sports industry, especially in roles that connect English and Spanish-speaking markets.
International experience with real professional teams shows you have adaptability, initiative, and a global perspective that domestic internships can’t match.
Most Adelante interns receive credit through their home university, and our team provides full documentation support.
These placements are in high demand, and spots inside sports organizations fill up fast. If you truly want to get hands-on experience abroad in the sports sector, we encourage you to apply early.
Adelante’s sports internships usually place interns in summer camps, with occasional opportunities to work alongside sports teams and in the private sector. Each offers a distinct type of experience within the sports industry:
Summer camps are the most common placement for sports interns. You will work directly with young athletes in a hands-on, energetic environment, supporting coaching, coordinating activities, and overseeing general camp operations across a range of sports and skill levels.
Football is a way of life, and team placements let you experience it up close. Past interns have helped coaches and staff during training, supported club marketing and communications, assisted with community projects, and contributed to translation and journalism work. These placements are lively, fast-paced, and very different from a typical office role.
Basketball placements give you a behind-the-scenes look at how a professional organization operates, with involvement in areas such as courtside support, coaching, marketing, media, and team operations.
Adelante’s sports placements go beyond football and basketball. Past interns have been placed in water sports such as kayaking, mixed martial arts, and other sports settings, reflecting the wide range of athletic and coaching environments available across our destinations.
Not every sports career takes place inside a club. Private sector placements are with companies that connect sport, branding, and business, including marketing agencies, event management firms, and media organizations covering the sports industry. Interns have contributed to marketing, publicity, event planning, and communications work in these settings.
Destinations
Spain
Madrid is the epicenter of Spanish football and one of the great sports cities of the world. Home to iconic clubs and a passionate sporting culture, interning here means you're not just working in sports, you're living it.
Spain
Known for its world-famous football club, thriving basketball scene, and growing sports business ecosystem, Barcelona offers sports interns an unmatched combination of professional opportunity and quality of life.
Latin America
Uruguay has a proud and passionate sports culture. It is a welcoming destination for sports interns looking for an immersive Latin American experience in a close-knit professional environment.
Programs
Barcelona
Intern in Barcelona with housing, placement, and language classes included. Guaranteed placements across 30+ fields, programs starting monthly.
Madrid
Intern in Madrid with housing, placement, and language classes included. Guaranteed placements across 30+ fields, programs starting monthly.
Montevideo – Punta del Este
Intern in Uruguay with housing, placement, and language classes included. Build your resume while living in Montevideo or Punta del Este.
What’s included
Both our Internship Abroad and Study Abroad Programs are among the most affordable you’ll find. Explore a new country and gain meaningful internship experience that makes a difference, without being limited by your budget.
Enjoy your own private room in a shared city-center apartment, conveniently located near your placement, local life, and weekend adventures.
You’ll receive a signed contract from your host organization before you arrive. We have placed 100% of our candidates in one of their requested fields and stand behind that with a guarantee.
Your Adelante director builds your placement around your background, interests, Spanish proficiency level, and areas of interest. No cookie-cutter placements.
We help you identify and articulate the skills you’ve built abroad, an essential step in translating impactful international work into language that resonates on your resume, in interviews, and on graduate school applications.
Nearly every Adelante intern who needed academic credit has received it. We provide full documentation and can work with your home institution to meet their requirements.
How to apply
Fill out our simple online application. There is no fee to apply, and it takes only a few minutes to get started.
Eligible candidates receive a link to schedule a free, first assessment interview by phone or Google Meet.
We’ll learn about your background, areas of interest, Spanish level, and goals so we can start building the right placement for you.
In real time or within 1–2 business days, you will receive your interview results by email. Successful candidates receive an acceptance letter with clear next steps.
Confirm your spot within one week of acceptance with a $325 confirmation fee. This means there is no tire-kicking, and you are committed to going abroad. A second interview and full placement details follow soon after.
Once confirmed, you will receive a comprehensive Pre-Departure Information Packet with everything you need to prepare for your time abroad, including visa guidance if required, along with cultural prep.
Reviews
Read what past interns, students and volunteers say about their time abroad with Adelante.
James Madison University
Sports · Seville, Spain
I can’t believe it’s already coming to an end. This has been a wonderful experience, and it’s something the average person doesn’t get to do. From getting comfortable in Seville to visiting a few other cities, these memories will definitely stick with me forever. The internship…
I can’t believe it’s already coming to an end. This has been a wonderful experience, and it’s something the average person doesn’t get to do. From getting comfortable in Seville to visiting a few other cities, these memories will definitely stick with me forever. The internship has also been really cool, especially since it involves watersports and I’ve had great coworkers.
London
Sports · Madrid, Spain
The main reason why my experience was unique is due to the type of company I worked for and activities that I was able to perform. When I discovered that my university program required me to work for a full school year in a foreign country I was worried that I would have had to…
The main reason why my experience was unique is due to the type of company I worked for and activities that I was able to perform. When I discovered that my university program required me to work for a full school year in a foreign country I was worried that I would have had to take part in one of those classic, mundane and monotonous 9-5 jobs which involved performing tasks while sat at a desk in front of a computer screen. This is basically the equivalent of suicide to someone like me who loves living his life outdoors performing sporting activities. Thanks to Adelante’s program, however, I was able to find a football club in Madrid that allowed me to actively participate in their training sessions, as well as help out coaches in as many ways as possible during the sessions. My university accepted the program and I was able to spend these 7 months here about as well as I could have ever hoped for.
University of Tennessee
Sports · Scotland
This has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime experience! The staff is top notch they are more like friends than teachers/chaperones. From top-notch coaching to world-renowned golf courses, this is definitely every golfers dream. The courses are also very engaging and rely heavily on…
This has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime experience! The staff is top notch they are more like friends than teachers/chaperones. From top-notch coaching to world-renowned golf courses, this is definitely every golfers dream. The courses are also very engaging and rely heavily on real-world experience being able to go to hickory golf course, visit the golf museum and coach a group of children in golf. I recommend this program to anyone interested.
To get a sports internship through Adelante Abroad, you will need to apply 60 days before you want to go abroad with our online application, get on our calendar to speak with our program director about your interests and previous experience, and pay the program fee once you are accepted. The more experience you have in your chosen sectors and better Spanish language level, the easier it is for us to place you.
Absolutely! Think of your sports international internship as a stepping stone to the career of your dreams. While many students use their college and university years to just complete their degree requirements, you are taking the time to get real life, hands on experience where it matters most. When employers see previous experience, like an internship abroad, they are easily impressed and tend to hire applicants who have done work in the field before.
Yes, many students are able to receive academic credit for their sports internship abroad through their university. All students will need to coordinate with their university’s internship office or academic advisor to see what requirements are needed to be met while participating in their internship.
Sports internships abroad will allow you to get hands on experience in your specific field of interest (no getting coffee for your boss). An internship abroad in sports will give you the opportunity to improve your resume and Spanish language skills while giving you the freedom to explore other cities or countries on the weekends.
No, our internship programs are for those who are still in school, just graduated, or are interested in switching careers. As long as you have an interest in the sports sector, have some prior experience such as a sports volunteer or have taken classes relating to sports, and are open to new experiences, we can place you.
All tasks while abroad for your internship will differ by company you are placed with and what interests you have in the sports sector. Sports internships for students may include assisting at sports camps over the summer, being a part of sports marketing, interning for a sports team abroad by helping with the publicity of sports events, sports journalism or even translation.
After you’ve been accepted into the program, our team carefully matches you with a host company based on your background, goals, and interests. Your internship placement will be finalized 1 month before your departure date, giving you plenty of time to prepare for your experience abroad.
Adelante Abroad has earned the trust of thousands of candidates worldwide through 25 years of guaranteed placements and life-changing experiences. Since 1999, we’ve specialized in providing affordable, customized internship and study abroad programs across Spain, Latin America, and Scotland, and we’re not a large, impersonal agency. We’re a team of seasoned travelers and international education professionals who’ve lived abroad ourselves and know what it takes to make your experience a success.
Every program is built around you: your goals, your values, your background. With in-country directors operating full-time in every city where we have programs, you’re never on your own. No matter where in the world you are.
The world's best sports markets don't wait, and neither should you. A sports internship abroad with Adelante puts you inside professional football and basketball organizations, sports marketing companies, and media outlets in two of Europe's top cities. With guaranteed placement, affordable city-center housing, and a team with experience since 1999, you have everything you need to make it happen. Apply today; spots fill fast!
