It aims to map and analyze how the debate, in circulation in scientific journals, about the training of professionals to work in sports is constituted, understanding the bibliometric characteristics and the contents of the works in an international context, and the place of Brazil. Qualitative and of the state of knowledge type, it is based of critical-documental analysis and the evidential paradigm. We identified 64 articles, published in 39 journals, between 1979 and 2019. 22 articles have international insertion and english journals have greater impact. The contents point to two groups of articles: 1 - general issues related to sport and training, their different types and perspectives; 2 - relationship between these training practices and the fields of work. The training that qualifies the sports professional is diversified. This leads to reflection on the way sport are treated in different countries.