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International transfer fees in men’s football hit a record $13.08 billion (10.9 billion euros) in 2025, world football’s governing body said Wednesday.
FIFA said in its annual Global Transfer Market report there was an all-time record of 86,158 international transfers completed in 2025.
Women’s football accounted for 2,440 transfers (+6.3%) and total spending of $28.6 million, a year-on-year increase of more than 80%.
The joint transfer total from men and women’s football, professional and amateur, of $13.11 billion represents more than 50% above the spending in 2024 and 35.6% higher than the previous record, set in 2023.
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In men’s professional football, clubs from England were once again both the number-one spender and the number-one recipient of transfer fees, with $3.82 billion spent on incoming transfers and $1.77b received for outgoing transfers in 2025.
Brazilian clubs led the way in terms of the total number of transfers, with 1,190 incoming and 1,005 outgoing transfers.
French players were those for whom clubs shelled out the most ($1.67b), followed by Brazilians ($1.21b).
The three biggest spending clubs were Premier League outfits Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
City take top spot from current Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, who now don not figure in a top 20 dominated by 11 English clubs.
The inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup will make history by offering record prize money, with the eventual champions set to earn $2.3 million, the highest single payout in women’s club football.
FIFA disclosed in a statement on its official X handle on Friday that the runners-up at the final, scheduled for Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Arsenal Stadium, London, will receive $1 million.
Clubs eliminated at the semi-final stage will earn $200,000 each, while Auckland United FC of New Zealand and Wuhan Chegu Jiangda WFC of China, who exited in the opening round, will take home $100,000 apiece. In total, nearly $4 million will be distributed among the six participating clubs.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said the prize structure underscored FIFA’s confidence in the growth of women’s club football.
“A total payout of close to $4 million distributed among the six participants based on their performance is a clear statement of belief in women’s club football,” Grafström said, adding that the investment reflects FIFA’s commitment to strengthening the women’s game globally.
