For years, attempts have been made to limit the earnings of player agents—with limited success. Now it has emerged that player agents have earned more this year than ever before.
According to the world governing body FIFA, there are 10,525 licensed player agents worldwide (as of December 4, 2025), collected a total of US$1.37 billion, or approximately €1.167 billion, in transfer fees for the period between January 1 and December 1, 2025. This significantly exceeded the previous record of US$889.4 million (€758 million) set in 2023, when clubs from Saudi Arabia, among others, were on a major shopping spree.
According to FIFA, the largest share of agent fees was paid by European clubs, with the Premier League considered the strongest driving force. English clubs, which had been surprisingly restrained in the previous year with expenditures of “only” $2017 million (€186 million), acted almost unrestrainedly this year. They alone paid more than $375 million (€320 million) to player agents, followed by German clubs with $165 million (around €141 million).
At least there was no new record in the Bundesliga this time, as significantly more commission payments were made to player agents in both 2024 (€249.7 million) and 2023 (€187.8 million). It also remains clear that FIFA’s attempts to limit the income of player agents have not really been effective so far.
Exorbitant increases for women too
A new record has also been set in women’s soccer, where more money than ever before was spent on agent fees.
According to FIFA statistics, the total amounted to $6.2 million (around €5.3 million), which is double the amount from the previous year and 13 times as much as in 2020.
The total amount of agent fees paid by clubs to players’ agents in 2021 was $6.2 million (around €5.3 million), which is double the amount from the previous year and 13 times as much as in 2020.