FIFA announced on Thursday that clubs spent a record-breaking $9.89 billion (8.51 billion euros) on international transfer fees in men’s football during this summer’s transfer window—the highest total ever for a mid-year period.
According to FIFA’s latest International Transfer Snapshot, over 12,500 transfers were completed worldwide, setting a new record and surpassing last year’s 11,863 moves.
English clubs once again led global spending, shelling out more than $3.02 billion to acquire players from overseas teams. However, this figure is lower than the $4.7 billion (£3.49 billion) reported by British media for overall Premier League spending, which also includes transfers between English clubs.
Italian clubs ranked second with $1.1 billion spent, followed by Spain ($940 million), Germany ($904 million), and France ($641 million). On the receiving end, French clubs topped the list with $1.7 billion in transfer income, ahead of clubs in England ($1.43 billion), Germany ($1.02 billion), Spain ($773 million), and Portugal ($642 million).
FIFA noted that the 2026 World Cup had a substantial influence on this year’s market. Players who participated in the tournament accounted for more than $3.3 billion in transfer fees, with 267 World Cup players from 47 countries changing clubs between June and September.
Women’s football also saw historic growth in both spending and transfer activity. FIFA reported 1,406 international transfers in the women’s game, up 19.2% from the previous record. Spending on transfer fees more than doubled compared to the same window in 2025, reaching a record $28.6 million. English clubs led the way with $8 million spent, followed by Spain ($6.6 million), Germany ($4.9 million), the United States ($2.9 million), and Italy ($2.1 million).
Swedish clubs received the highest total in transfer fees at $4.2 million, narrowly edging out England ($4 million), with clubs in France and Germany each collecting $3.6 million.
Source: AFP
