World Cup 2026 helps drive record summer transfer spending, says FIFA

FIFA says the 2026 World Cup had a major impact on the summer transfer market, with more than 260 players who took part in the tournament moving to new clubs during the 2026-27 window.

The combined value of those transfers exceeded $3.3bn (£2.6bn), according to figures released by football’s world governing body.

The summer transfer window has closed in Europe’s major leagues, although it remains open in some competitions, including the Turkish league.

Men’s professional football set a series of new records during the period. International transfer fees passed $9.89bn (£7.6bn), the highest total ever recorded, while more than 12,500 international transfers were completed worldwide.

English clubs were the biggest spenders, committing $3.02bn in transfer fees. They were followed by clubs in Italy, Spain, Germany and France.

Biggest spenders

The leading leagues by spending were:

– English clubs: $3.02bn – Italian clubs: $1.1bn – Spanish clubs: $940m – German clubs: $904m – French clubs: $641m

English clubs also completed the highest number of incoming transfers. Spanish clubs ranked second, followed by Portuguese clubs.

The biggest totals for transfer fees received were recorded by French clubs, who brought in $1.7bn. English clubs ranked next with $1.43bn, followed by German clubs with $1.02bn, Spanish clubs with $773m and Portuguese clubs with $642m.

The record-breaking activity was not limited to the men’s game.

Women’s football also recorded its strongest international transfer window to date, with 1,406 transfers completed during the same period. That represented a 19.2% rise on the previous record.

Spending on international transfers in the women’s game also reached an all-time high. Clubs paid $28.6m in fees, more than double the amount recorded during last summer’s transfer window.

English clubs again led the way for spending, ahead of clubs from Spain, Germany, the United States and Italy.

Women’s transfer spending

The biggest spenders in the women’s game were:

– English clubs: $8.0m – Spanish clubs: $6.6m – German clubs: $4.9m – United States clubs: $2.9m – Italian clubs: $2.1m

FIFA’s figures cover the summer transfer period for both men’s and women’s football and highlight the scale of movement following World Cup 2026.

Alongside the increase in the value of deals involving World Cup players, the overall market produced a new global high for international transfers in men’s football. The record was matched by unprecedented levels of activity in the women’s game, where both the number of transfers and the money spent reached their highest levels.