FIFA Global Transfer Report 2025: record USD 13.08 billion in men's fees, women's spending up 83.6%

FIFA published this report on 29 January 2026; the figures cover the 2025 calendar year.

Clubs spent a record USD 13.08 billion on international transfer fees in men's professional football in 2025, a 52.3% increase on the USD 8.59 billion recorded in 2024, according to the FIFA Global Transfer Report 2025 published on 29 January 2026. The number of international transfers also hit a new high of 24,558, up 7.7% on the previous record set a year earlier, and the share of transfers involving a fee climbed to a record 17.7%. The report covers transfers completed in the 2025 calendar year and does not include figures on agent or intermediary fees.

Women's professional football set its own records: international transfer spending rose 83.6% to USD 28.6 million, with 2,440 transfers completed (up 6.3%) and 11.8% of them carrying a fee.

Key figures from the report

• Men's transfer fees: USD 13.08 billion (+52.3% vs USD 8.59 billion in 2024)
• Men's international transfers: 24,558 (+7.7%), involving 5,283 clubs
• Transfers with a fee: 17.7% of all men's transfers, a record share
• Men's sell-on fees: 3,841 transfers, 52.2% of eligible deals, average fee 21.5%
• Women's transfer fees: USD 28.6 million (+83.6%), across 2,440 transfers (+6.3%)
• Amateur transfers: 59,162 (+9.4%), involving 25,500 clubs

Where the money went

A small group of deals drove the men's total. Transfers with fees above USD 20 million made up only 3.8% of fee-paying transfers but accounted for 48.5% of global spending. Most fees were fixed amounts (USD 10.88 billion, or 83.1%), with conditional payments adding USD 2.10 billion (16.0%) and release clauses USD 0.11 billion (0.8%).

Permanent transfers accounted for 94.6% of all fees despite representing just 18.5% of moves; 62.5% of transfers involved out-of-contract players. Sell-on clauses continued to spread: 3,841 transfers included one, just over half of all permanent transfers and loans, at an average 21.5% of a future fee (down from 22.2% in 2024).

The five biggest international transfers of the year all involved English buyers: Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool), Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt to Liverpool), Benjamin Šeško (RB Leipzig to Manchester United), Nick Woltemade (VfB Stuttgart to Newcastle United) and Martín Zubimendi (Real Sociedad to Arsenal). The report does not disclose individual fees.

England dominates, Saudi Arabia stays in the top five

UEFA clubs spent USD 10.72 billion, more than 80% of the global total, up from USD 6.96 billion in 2024. English clubs alone spent USD 3.82 billion, more than double the USD 1.88 billion of 2024, followed by Germany (USD 1.28 billion), Italy (USD 1.20 billion), France (USD 953.4 million) and Saudi Arabia (USD 906.9 million). The AFC was the second-largest spending confederation at USD 1.21 billion (9.3%).

On the receiving side, English clubs collected USD 1.77 billion, ahead of France (USD 1.71 billion), Germany (USD 1.49 billion), Italy (USD 1.10 billion) and Spain (USD 929.1 million). The most valuable transfer stream was Germany to England: 51 moves worth USD 1.04 billion, followed by France to England (66 moves, USD 718.1 million). Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea topped the UEFA club spending table, with Newcastle United (19th, up 309 places) the biggest climber. Fenerbahçe (16th) and Galatasaray (17th) were the only clubs from outside the "big five" leagues in the top 20.

Players, ages and contracts

Players represented 186 nationalities, up from 176. Brazilians were the most transferred (2,326), ahead of Argentina (1,207), France (1,185), Nigeria (1,090) and the United Kingdom (1,057). Measured by fees, French players attracted the most money at USD 1.67 billion, followed by Brazilians at USD 1.21 billion.

The 18-23 age group generated the most transfers (10,612), 22.5% of them with a fee, while players aged 24-29 commanded the highest average fee at USD 3.3 million. The average contract ran 19.5 months, and the median yearly fixed remuneration was just under USD 29,000; only 4.3% of transfers offered more than USD 1 million a year.

Women's game: fees up, salaries rising

In women's football, 135 clubs paid fees and 155 received them, both new highs, and the average fee rose to USD 99,600 from USD 78,200. English clubs spent USD 11.0 million, ahead of the United States (USD 7.9 million) and France (USD 2.7 million); US clubs received the most, at USD 5.0 million. The top five transfers were Onema Geyoro, Alyssa Thompson, Lizbeth Ovalle, Naomi Girma and Tarciane.

The median annual fixed salary agreed in women's international transfers was USD 19,800, and 21.7% of players earned over USD 50,000 a year, up from 17.4%. For the first time, contracts exceeded USD 1 million in annual fixed pay.

The foreword notes 2025 was the first year under FIFA's Interim Regulatory Framework, introduced after the Diarra ruling. "The numbers reflected in this report demonstrate that this goal has been overwhelmingly achieved," write Emilio García Silvero and Jan Kleiner.