Football clubs worldwide spent a record $9.89bn on international transfer fees in men’s football during the 2026 summer transfer window, FIFA has reported.
The global football governing body disclosed this in its latest International Transfer Snapshot, released on Thursday.
According to FIFA, more than 12,500 international transfers were completed during the mid-year window, the highest number ever recorded and an increase from the 11,863 transfers registered in the previous year...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
English Clubs Lead Global Spending
English clubs once again topped the spending table, paying more than $3.02bn in transfer fees to sign players from clubs abroad.
The figure is lower than the £3.49bn ($4.7bn) reported by British media as total Premier League spending. The latter includes transfers involving players moving between English clubs.
Italian clubs ranked second in international spending with $1.1bn, followed by clubs in Spain with $940m, Germany with $904m, and France with $641m.
On the income side, French clubs recorded the highest proceeds, receiving $1.7bn from international transfer fees.
English clubs generated $1.43b, while German clubs received $1.02bn, Spanish clubs $773m, and Portuguese clubs $642m.
World Cup Players Drive Transfer Activity
FIFA said the 2026 World Cuphad a significant influence on the transfer market, with players who participated in the tournament accounting for morehan $3.3bnin transfer fees.
A total of 267 World Cup players from 47 nationalities changed clubs between June and September.
The figures underline the growing financial importance of international player transfers, particularly following a major tournament year.
Women’s Football Also Sets Transfer Records
Women’s football also recorded unprecedented activity during the summer window.
FIFA reported 1,406 international transfers in the women’s professional game, representing a 19.2 per cent increase from the previous record.
International transfer spending in women’s football more than doubled compared with the corresponding 2025 window, reaching an all-time high of $28.6m.
English clubs led women’s football spending with $8m, followed by Spain with $6.6m, Germany with $4.9m, the United States with $2.9m, and Italy with $2.1m.
Swedish clubs recorded the highest transfer income at $4.2m, narrowly ahead of English clubs with $4m. French and German clubs each received $3.6m.
The record figures point to continued growth in the global football transfer market, with both men’s and women’s football registering unprecedented levels of international transfer activity.
