International transfer fees in men’s football reached a record $13.08 billion (10.9 billion euros) in 2025, FIFA reported on Wednesday, marking a significant increase in global player trading.
According to FIFA’s annual Global Transfer Market report, a total of 86,158 international transfers were completed across professional and amateur football last year. Women’s football accounted for 2,440 transfers, a 6.3% increase from 2024, with total spending of $28.6 million—an increase of more than 80% compared to the previous year.
The combined transfer spending for men’s and women’s football reached $13.11 billion, representing a 50% increase from 2024 and 35.6% higher than the previous record set in 2023.
In men’s professional football, English clubs led the market, spending $3.82 billion on incoming transfers and receiving $1.77 billion for outgoing players. Brazilian clubs recorded the highest number of transfers, with 1,190 incoming and 1,005 outgoing deals.
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French players commanded the highest transfer fees, with clubs spending $1.67 billion, followed by Brazilian players at $1.21 billion. The top three spending clubs were Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, all from the English Premier League. Manchester City overtook current Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, who did not feature in the top 20, a list dominated by 11 English clubs.
FIFA’s report highlights the growing financial scale of the global football transfer market and the increasing investment in both men’s and women’s football.