January 29 – FIFA has released in annual report of global transfer spending, with transactions in the transfer market topping €10 billion for the first time – a sign that football’s economic profile continues to expand.
The 2025 Global Transfer Report shows that more than 86,000 international transfers were completed across the men’s and women’s game in 2025 — the highest figure recorded.
Transfer spending didn’t just creep upward either as it soared through the $10 billion ceiling, reaching $13.11 billion – up more than 50% up on 2024 and comfortably clear of the previous record set in 2023.
England, boosted by the Premier League, sat at the centre of the men’s market, leading the world in both spending and income from transfers. Brazilian clubs, meanwhile, were the busiest operators by volume, moving more players in and out than anyone else.
Perhaps just as telling is the breadth of participation with over 1,200 clubs spending money on transfers in 2025, while nearly 1,500 clubs earned a fee from at least one outgoing deal.
The women’s game also continues its sharp upward curve. Transfer spending rose by more than 80% to $28.6 million, with more clubs buying, selling and professionalising players than ever before. International professional transfers increased again, underlining how quickly the women’s market is maturing.
At the grassroots end, football’s reach feels almost total. Nearly 60,000 amateur players moved clubs across borders, and 209 of FIFA’s 211 member associations were involved in at least one amateur transfer.
The question now isn’t whether football is growing. It’s how, year after year, it still finds room to grow even bigger.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at [email protected]