FIFA - Global Transfer Report 2024

Global Transfer Report 2024

JANUARY 20252

Contents 1 . Foreword 4 2. Men’s professional football 6 2. 1 Global overview 7 2.2 T ransfer fees and types 9 2.2. 1 T ransfer fees 9 2.2.2 Sell-on f ees 11 2.3 T op transfers 13 2. 4 Players and contracts 14 2. 4.1 Player age 14 2. 4.2 Contract duration and player salaries 16 2. 4.3 Player nationality 18 2.5 Geogr aphical overview 2 0 2.5.1 T ransfers by confederation 2 0 2.5.2 T ransfers by association 22 2. 6 Club characteristics 27 2. 6.1 T op spending clubs in 2024 29 3 . Women’s professional football 32 3. 1 Global overview 33 3.2 T ransfer fees and transfer types 35 3.2. 1 T ransfer fees 35 3.2.2 Sell-on f ees 36 3.3 T op transfers 38 3. 4 Players and contracts 39 3. 4.1 Player age 39 3. 4.2 Contract duration and player salaries 40 3. 4.3 Player nationality 4 2 3.5 Geographical overview 44 3.5. 1 T ransfers by confederation 44 3.5.2 T ransfers by association 46 3. 6 Club characteristics 50 3. 6.1 T op spending clubs in 2024 513 4. Amateur football 5 2 4.1 Global overview 53 4 .2 Players 54 4 .2.1 Player age 54 4 .2.2 Player nationality 55

3. 6.1 T op spending clubs in 2024

513 4. Amateur football 5 2 4.1 Global overview 53 4 .2 Players 54 4 .2.1 Player age 54 4 .2.2 Player nationality 55 4 .3 Geographical overview 56 4 .3.1 T ransfers by confederation 56 4 .3.2 T ransfers by association 57 4 .4 Club characteristics 60 De finitions

61 Methodology 65 Disclaimer 664 1 . Foreword1. Foreword 5 The global transfer system remains an essential element for the operations of professional football all around the world. This report outlines the key parameters of the transfer system for 2024, including transfer fees, contract duration, player age and geographical overviews for both men’s and women’s football. As world football’s governing body, FIFA continues to work hand in hand with all football stakeholders to ensure that the regulatory framework for the global transfer system can keep pace with the ever-evolving dynamics of professional football. As such, 2024 has seen further important regulatory initiatives. In May 2024, the FIFA Council approved regulatory measures to extend rights and protections for female football players, including additional rights for adoptive parents and non-biological mothers, clarification in relation to pregnancy and maternity leave, and additional important regulatory measures. In November 2024, FIFA published the first FIFA Clearing House Report, outlining the substantial achievements in the first 24 months of the FIFA Clearing House’s operations. This report details the fundamental changes that this regulatory project brought about for the allocation and payment of training rewards all around the world. Finally, in December 2024, following the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in what is known as the “Diarra” case, and after a detailed consultation with its stakeholders, FIFA adopted an Interim Regulatory Framework, to provide clarity and stability to all participants in the global transfer

Finally, in December 2024, following the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in what is known as the “Diarra” case, and after a detailed consultation with its stakeholders, FIFA adopted an Interim Regulatory Framework, to provide clarity and stability to all participants in the global transfer system for the registration periods that are open early in 2025. Within the context of this evolving regulatory framework, the report shows new historic records in the number of international transfers and clubs involved, and the second-highest level of transfer fees ever. One important addition this year is that, in line with FIFA’s ongoing commitment to promoting transparency and serving the needs of specific users, detailed data for each association is available on the Global Transfer Report website. As we look ahead, FIFA’s focus on modernising the global transfer system remains resolute. In constant collaboration with football’s stakeholders, we continue to work on a transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate regulatory framework for our beautiful game. Emilio García Silvero Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Jan Kleiner Director Football Regulatory6 2. Men’s professional football2. Men's professional football 7 2.1 Global overview Global spending on international transfer fees reached a total of USD 8.59 billion in 2024. This is the second highest total ever, topped only by the record spending of 2023 (USD 9.66 billion). The number of clubs involved in transfers with fees reached new heights in 2024, with 1,100 of them spending money on transfer fees and 1,378 of them receiving a transfer fee for at least one outgoing transfer. With a total of 22,779 transfers, a new record was set in 2024 for the number of international transfers, exceeding last year’s record by 4.4%. A grand total of 5,123 clubs from around the world were involved in these transfers. Most transfers do not include a transfer fee, but the proportion of transfers with fees also reached a record high in 2024 with 16.2%. Figure 1: Spending on transfer fees and number of clubs with fees

5,123 clubs from around the world were involved in these transfers. Most transfers do not include a transfer fee, but the proportion of transfers with fees also reached a record high in 2024 with 16.2%. Figure 1: Spending on transfer fees and number of clubs with fees 2015 4.10bn 808 Transfer fees (USD) Clubs receiving transfer fees Clubs spending on transfer fees 2017 6.30bn 976 2020 5.66bn 850 955 2021 4.87bn 839 968 2022 6.45bn 953 1,163 2023 9.66bn 1,026 1,244 2016 4.71bn 882 2019 7.33bn 939 1,089 2018 6.93bn 839 1,003 2024 8.59bn 1,100 1,378 705 771 837 Figure 2: Number of transfers and number of clubs involved Transfers without fees Transfers with fees Clubs involved in transfers 3,787 2017 15,662 2019 18,084 4,129 2018 16,553 3,933 2015 13,613 13.1% 15.0% 2020 17,191 4,147 13.2% 2023 21,821 4,982 15.1% 14.9% 2022 20,369 4,797 14.0% 14.3% 2021 18,137 4,534 12.3% 2024 22,779 5,123 16.2% 2016 14,636 13.8% 3,5963,4822. Men's professional football 8 Clubs can typically only register new players during one of the two registration periods determined by their association. Many associations choose to set one such registration period at the beginning of the year and another towards the middle. This trend can be observed in the distribution of the number of transfers as well as the spending on transfer fees over the year, both of which show two distinct peaks

periods determined by their association. Many associations choose to set one such registration period at the beginning of the year and another towards the middle. This trend can be observed in the distribution of the number of transfers as well as the spending on transfer fees over the year, both of which show two distinct peaks in the aforementioned periods. The mid-year peak is even more pronounced for transfer fees than for the number of transfers, such that the average transfer fee spent per transfer also peaks in August. Figure 3: Distribution of number of transfers and spending on transfer fees across the year in 2024 Jan 19.3% 14.5% May 0.3% 0.2% Sep 10.9% 5.7% Mar 4.7% 0.8% Jul 24.1% 31.1% Nov 0.5% 0.0% Feb 14.5% 6.2% Jun 2.6% 4.3% Oct 1.8% 0.1% Apr 1.2% 0.2% Aug 19.5% 36.9% Dec 0.6% 0.2% Number of transfers (in % of total) Value of transfer fees (in % of total)2. Men's professional football 9 2.2 T ransfer fees and types 2.2.1 T ransfer fees In most cases, transfer fees did not exceed USD 500,000. However, while transfers with such fees constituted 58.2% of all transfers with fees, they only accounted for 3.8% of the total spending on fees. Conversely, the 2.5% of transfers that involved fees of more than USD 20 million contributed close to 40% of the overall total in 2024. Figure 4: Distribution of number of transfers with fees and value of transfer fees by size of the transfer fees (2024) The vast majority of transfer fees were agreed as fixed fees (USD 6.91 billion or 80.4% of the total) while conditional fees represented a total of USD 1.61 billion

Figure 4: Distribution of number of transfers with fees and value of transfer fees by size of the transfer fees (2024) The vast majority of transfer fees were agreed as fixed fees (USD 6.91 billion or 80.4% of the total) while conditional fees represented a total of USD 1.61 billion (18.8%). The remaining 0.8% of all fees declared in 2024 were paid after a release (buy-out) clause was activated in the player’s contract with his former club. Figure 5: T ransfer fees by type (2024) >0-500k 58.2% 3.8% >5m-20m 8.1% 34.7% >500k-1m 12.1% 3.7% >1m-5m 19.1% 19.3% >20m 2.5% 38.4% Number of transfers with fees (in % of total) Value of transfer fees (in % of total) Transfer fee range (USD) Fixed fees Conditional fees Release (buy-out) fees 18.8% 80.4% 0.8% 6.91bn 1.61bn 0.07bn2. Men's professional football 10 More than 60% of all transfers involved players who were out of contract. Transfers of this nature do not typically involve a transfer fee. The only exception to this rule are transfers in which the player’s former contract was terminated as a result of the payment of a release (buy-out) fee. The vast majority of all transfer fees (93.8%) were in fact paid for permanent transfers that involved a transfer agreement between the player’s former and new clubs. These transfers typically receive most of the media attention, even though they only represent 16.5% of all transfers.

Figure 6: Distribution of number of transfers and value of transfer fees by transfer type (2024) Out of contract Loan Return from loan Permanent 93.8% 63.4% 16.5% 12.1% 8.0% Value of transfer fees (in % of total) Number of transfers (in % of total) 0.8% 0.0% 5.5%2. Men's professional football 11 2.2.2 Sell-on fees In the context of permanent transfers and loans, the two clubs involved can agree on what is known as a sell-on fee, which corresponds to a percentage of an eventual future transfer fee when the player next changes club. This means that if the new club transfers the player to a third club, the former club is entitled to a percentage of the new transfer fee. The number of transfers that include such a sell-on fee has been increasing in recent years and reached a total of 3,199 in 2024. This corresponds to almost half of all permanent transfers and loans completed in 2024. Figure 7: Number and percentage of transfers including a sell-on fee 2016 906 Number of transfers with sell-on fee Percentage of transfers with sell-on fee 2020 1,584 33.3% 2021 1,645 37.1% 2022 2,235 42.1% 2023 2,731 45.7% 2019 1,698 34.7% 2024 3,199 49.2% 24.4% 2017 1,176 28.8% 2018 1,401 32.6% The average sell-on fee percentage agreed between clubs was 22.2% in 2024. However, there is a great degree of variation between transfers, with sell-on fees sometimes

even exceeding 60% of the future fee. Figure 8: Distribution of transfers by size of the sell-on fee (2024) >0%-10% 870 >10%-20% 1,275 >40%-60% 315 >20%-40% 692 >60% 47 Sell-on fee range The relative share refers to all transfers excluding transfers out of contract and returns from loan as these cannot include sell-on fees.2. Men's professional football 12 As shown in Figure 9, sell-on fees are much more common in transfers of younger players and become less common the older the transferred player gets. For players younger than 18, almost 75% of transfers involved a sell-on fee, whereas only 15.6% of transfers of players aged 30 and over included a sell-on fee in 2024. Figure 9: Percentage of transfers including a sell-on fee by player age (2024) Player age (years) <18 72.7% 24-29 42.8% 18-23 54.2% ≥30 15.6% Sell-on fees were also more prevalent in transfers that also included a regular transfer fee (fixed, conditional or release (buy-out) fees). In fact, the higher the transfer fee, the more likely it was that the transfer would also involve a sell-on fee (see the dark blue line in Figure 10). The only exceptions to this rule were transfers with fees in excess of USD 20 million. Interestingly, while transfers with higher transfer fees were more likely to include a sell-on fee, the agreed size of that sell-on fee decreased with higher transfer fees (see the light blue line in Figure 10). The highest average sell-on fee was agreed in transfers without a transfer fee (27.4% of the future transfer fee) whereas transfers with fees of more than USD 20 million came with the lowest average sell-on fee (15.1%). Figure 10: Percentage of transfers including a sell-on fee and average size of the sell-on fee grouped by size of the regular transfer fee in the underlying transfer (2024)

whereas transfers with fees of more than USD 20 million came with the lowest average sell-on fee (15.1%). Figure 10: Percentage of transfers including a sell-on fee and average size of the sell-on fee grouped by size of the regular transfer fee in the underlying transfer (2024) % of transfers with sell-on fee Average sell-on fee Transfer fee range (USD) >5m-20m>500k-1m>0-500k >1m-5mNo fee >20m 58.7% 71.0% 73.8% 27.4% 20.7% 20.7% 66.5% 33.0% 55.9% 17.6%19.8% 15.1%2. Men's professional football 13 2.3 T op transfers The table below shows the five biggest international transfers of the year 2024. Figure 11: T op five transfers by size of the transfer fee (2024) Manchester City (England) Benfica (Portugal) Benfica (Portugal) LOSC Lille (France) RB Leipzig (Germany) Atlético de Madrid (Spain) Paris Saint-Germain (France) Paris Saint-Germain (France) Manchester United (England) FC Barcelona (Spain) Julián Alvarez (Argentina) Gonçalo Ramos (Portugal) Leny Y oro (France) João Neves (Portugal) Dani Olmo (Spain)2. Men's professional football 14 One interesting effect of players’ relative ages can be observed in the distribution of international transfers across the players’ month of birth. While 12.1% of all transfers in the ten years from 2015 to 2024 involved players born in the first month of the year, this share decreases towards the end of the year, with less than 7% of all transfers involving players born in December. Since youth leagues in many countries

transfers in the ten years from 2015 to 2024 involved players born in the first month of the year, this share decreases towards the end of the year, with less than 7% of all transfers involving players born in December. Since youth leagues in many countries are often divided into categories based on the players’ years of birth, players born early in the year are often more likely to play with younger peers. These players may benefit from more advanced development compared to their peers and may therefore be more likely to pursue a career in professional football. 2.4 Players and contracts 2.4.1 Player age On average, players who moved internationally in 2024 were 24.6 years old. In transfers that included a transfer fee, players were typically younger, with an average age of 22.9 years. In fact, the 20.5% of the 9,925 transfers of players aged 18 to 23 that included a transfer fee represented more than half of all transfers with fees. However, the age group with the highest average transfer fee (USD 2.6 million) was that of players between 24 and 29 years old. Figure 12: Number of transfers and average transfer fee by player age (2024) Transfers without fees Transfers with fees Average transfer fee (USD) 18-23 9,922 2.2m 24-29 9,131 2.6m 15.2% 20.5% <18 239 836k 43.9% ≥30 3,484 2.4m 4.8% Player age (years)2. Men's professional football 15 In fact, in some countries like Japan and the United States, youth leagues typically consist of school teams instead of clubs that are independent from schools. This means that youth football cohorts in those countries are determined by the age cut-off dates for school enrolment, rather than by the players’ years of birth. In Japanese schools, the academic year typically begins in April, so students born in March are typically the youngest among their classmates. Similarly, the school year

means that youth football cohorts in those countries are determined by the age cut-off dates for school enrolment, rather than by the players’ years of birth. In Japanese schools, the academic year typically begins in April, so students born in March are typically the youngest among their classmates. Similarly, the school year in the United States typically starts between late summer and early autumn, which means that students born towards the middle of the calendar year are among the youngest in their class. As shown in Figure 13 below, the relative age effect for players from Japan and the United States changes in line with these differences. Japanese players who transferred internationally are more likely to be born in April and players who transfer internationally from the United States are more likely to celebrate their birthdays between August and October. Figure 13: Distribution of international transfers (2015-2024) by the player’s month of birth All transfers Japanese players US players Jan May SepMar Jul NovFeb Jun OctApr Aug Dec 0% 5% 10% 15% Player's month of birth2. Men's professional football 16 2.4.2 Contract duration and player salaries Contracts in international transfers in 2024 had an average duration of 18.9 months. 1 It is worth noting, however, that there is a very broad range of contract duration, from less than six months (17.6% of the transfers in 2024) to more than four years (4.5%). The duration of more than half of all contracts fell somewhere between six and 24 months. As is evident from Figure 15, younger players are typically offered the longest contracts whereas older players tend to receive contracts for shorter periods on average. Figure 14: Distribution of contract duration in international transfers 2024 Contract duration >6-12 months 34.5% >0-6 months 17.6%

>3-4 years 5.6% >2-3 years 13.8% >1-2 years 24.1% >4 years 4.5% Figure 15: Average contract duration by player age (2024) Player age (years) 18-23 24.0 <18 29.6 ≥30 12.7 24-29 16.5 1All statistics regarding contract duration and player salaries are excluding loans and returns from loans.2. Men's professional football 17 A player’s total fixed remuneration corresponds to the total fixed amount that they will receive over the full length of the new employment contract as entered in TMS. This figure includes sign-on fees, salaries and any other money that is unconditionally guaranteed to be paid to the player by the new club. It does not include conditional bonus payments, such as performance-related bonuses. The yearly total fixed remuneration is the resulting amount the player would receive on average per year based on the underlying contract duration. In 2024, the median yearly total fixed remuneration was just under USD 28,000. As seen in relation to contract duration, there is of course great variability between contracts with yearly total fixed remuneration above USD 100,000 in more than 20% of transfers and more than USD 1 million per year being offered in 3.8% of the transfers. Figure 16: Distribution of yearly total fixed remuneration in international transfers (2024) Yearly total fixed remuneration (USD) >25k-50k 14.6% >0-25k 47.7% >500k-1m 3.8% >100k-500k 17.3% >50k-100k 12.8% >1m 3.8%2. Men's professional football 18 2.4.3 Player nationality The players who transferred internationally in 2024 represented a grand total of 176 different nationalities. With a total of 2,350 transfers, players from Brazil were by far the biggest group followed by those from Argentina with 1,217 transfers,

18 2.4.3 Player nationality The players who transferred internationally in 2024 represented a grand total of 176 different nationalities. With a total of 2,350 transfers, players from Brazil were by far the biggest group followed by those from Argentina with 1,217 transfers, the United Kingdom (1,078), France (1,052) and Nigeria (954). Figure 17: Player nationality by number of international transfers in 2024

Transfers: 1 ≥1,0002. Men's professional football

19 Brazilian players were also at the top of the list in terms of clubs’ spending on total transfer fees with a total of USD 1.19 billion in 2024. They were followed by players from France (USD 926.9 million), Portugal (USD 620.5 million), Argentina (USD 605.5 million) and Spain (USD 500.8 million). Out of the 176 nationalities represented in all transfers in 2024, 127 also included at least one transfer with fees. Figure 18: Player nationality by spending on international transfer fees in 2024 Transfer fees (USD): 1 ≥500m2. Men's professional football 20 2.5 Geographical overview 2.5.1 T ransfers by confederation Almost two thirds of all transfers in 2024 (64.5%) involved clubs within the same confederation (see the bars on the diagonal line in Figure 19). In fact, 42.4% (9,657) of the transfers were between two clubs in the UEFA region. The second largest group of transfers was that of players moving within the CONMEBOL region (1,711) followed by those moving within CAF (1,696) and those moving within the AFC (1,183). Players moving from a club in the UEFA region to one in the AFC

region constituted the fifth largest group with a total of 1,114 transfers. Figure 19: Number of transfers between and within confederations (2024) Confederation of engaging club UEFA UEFA Concacaf Concacaf AFC AFC

CONMEBOL

CONMEBOL

CAF CAFOFC OFC Confederation of releasing club 9,657 917 1,711 495387 848 357343 444 874 3719 637 273 41 823 25 320 18 1,696 266 3619 87 2 6091 1,183 11 24 1,114 1,000 0 3,000 5,000 7,000 9,000 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,0002. Men's professional football 21 In terms of spending on transfer fees, European dominance is even more pronounced with more than 80% of all spending of this nature originating from clubs in the UEFA region (USD 6.96 billion – see the blue bars in Figure 20). The confederation with the second largest spending on transfer fees was the AFC with a total of USD 695.4 million (8.1% of the total – see the red bars in Figure 20). This was mainly driven by clubs from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with spending of USD 464.5 million and USD 117.7 million, respectively. UEFA clubs were also the biggest recipients of transfer fees, with a total of USD 6.94 billion. Clubs from the CONMEBOL region received the second highest amount, with a total of USD 1.13 billion. Figure 20: Spending on transfer fees between and within confederations (2024) Confederation of engaging club

UEFA UEFA Concacaf Concacaf AFC AFC

CONMEBOL

CONMEBOL

CAF CAFOFC OFC Confederation of releasing club 5.96bn 699.2m 50.2m 213.3m 136.9m 194.2m 127.9m 103.5m 187.3m 93.5m 0.3m1.5m 68.7m 17.4m 2.3m 2.9m 15.6m 4m 1.6m 105.7m 16.5m 3.8m 16.3m 12.3m 553.1m 6bn 0 500m 1bn 1.5bn 2bn 250m 750m 1.25bn 1.75bn2. Men's professional football 22 2.5.2 T ransfers by association The following maps give an overview of the distribution of the global transfer activity in terms of the number of incoming and outgoing transfers as well as the transfer fees spent and received per association. More detailed statistics about each individual association can be found online on the Global Transfer Report website. The same five associations were at the top of the list in terms of both incoming and outgoing transfers in 2024. Clubs in Brazil led the way for incoming transfers with a total of 1,102 transfers followed by those in Portugal (767), England (745), Spain (602) and Argentina (552). In total, 158 of the 211 FIFA member associations completed at least one incoming transfer in 2024. Figure 21: Associations by number of incoming international transfers in 2024

Incoming transfers: 1 ≥5002. Men's professional football

23 Clubs in Brazil also led the way in terms of the number of outgoing transfers, with a total of 1,113. They were followed by those in England with 908, Spain with 783, Portugal with 764 and Argentina with 763. As shown in the map in Figure 22, a total

23 Clubs in Brazil also led the way in terms of the number of outgoing transfers, with a total of 1,113. They were followed by those in England with 908, Spain with 783, Portugal with 764 and Argentina with 763. As shown in the map in Figure 22, a total of 183 different associations were involved in at least one outgoing transfer in 2024. Figure 22: Associations by number of outgoing international transfers in 2024 Clubs from England were the highest spenders, with a total outlay of USD 1.88 billion in 2024. Clubs from France (USD 994.9 million), Italy (USD 937.9 million), Spain (USD 761.8 million) and Germany (USD 724.9 million) complete the top five. Figure 23: Associations by spending on international transfer fees in 2024

Outgoing transfers: 1 ≥750

Transfer fees spent (USD): 1 ≥700m2. Men's professional football 24 English clubs were also the biggest recipients of transfer fees, with incomings of USD 1.34 billion. French clubs followed in second place with total receipts of USD 868.4 million. They were followed by clubs from Portugal (USD 671.8 million), Spain (USD 651 million) and Brazil (USD 591.5 million). Figure 24: Associations by receipts from international transfer fees in 2024 Transfer fees received (USD): 1 ≥590m2. Men's professional football 25 As shown in Figure 25, the two biggest transfer streams in terms of the number of transfers were those for players moving from a club in Brazil to one in Portugal (262 transfers) and vice versa (223 transfers). The top transfer stream in terms of spending on transfer fees was from France to England (46 transfers for a total of USD 305 million). Visit the Global Transfer Report website to explore the top five transfer streams for each of the 211 FIFA member associations individually. Figure 25: T op three transfer streams in terms of number of transfers and spending on transfer fees (USD) in 2024 Number of transfers Transfer fees (USD)

USD 305 million). Visit the Global Transfer Report website to explore the top five transfer streams for each of the 211 FIFA member associations individually. Figure 25: T op three transfer streams in terms of number of transfers and spending on transfer fees (USD) in 2024 Number of transfers Transfer fees (USD)

USD 33.9m

262

USD 24.8m

223

USD 2.0m

100

USD 305.0m

46

USD 260.8m

54

USD 249.1m

522. Men's professional football

26 As shown in Figure 26, in the majority of associations worldwide, clubs received more from outgoing transfers than they spent on incoming transfers. In fact, of the 132 associations involved in transfers with fees, only 36 appear below the diagonal line in the graph, meaning that their clubs spent more on transfer fees than they received. There were 21 associations with clubs that received transfer fees for outgoing transfers but no clubs that spent any money on transfer fees. Similarly, six associations had clubs that spent money on transfer fees but had no receipts from outgoing transfers. These associations appear on the relevant axis lines in Figure 26. Figure 26: Distribution of associations by transfer fees spent and received in 2024 AFC OFCCAF UEFAConcacaf CONMEBOL Transfer fees spent (USD) 1,000 0 100,000 10m 1bn 10,000 1m 100m

Japan Saudi Arabia

Algeria Egypt South Africa Tunisia Mexico USA Argentina Colombia Uruguay Venezuela Austria Australia NewZealand Germany Spain Malaysia Brazil Croatia England France Canada Italy Ghana Qatar Faroe Islands Zambia Angola Rwanda United Arab Emirates Jamaica Nigeria Lithuania Tajikistan Botswana Vietnam 1,0000 100,000 10m 1bn10,000 1m 100m2. Men's professional football 27 2.6 Club characteristics

Zambia Angola Rwanda United Arab Emirates Jamaica Nigeria Lithuania Tajikistan Botswana Vietnam 1,0000 100,000 10m 1bn10,000 1m 100m2. Men's professional football 27 2.6 Club characteristics In total, there were 5,123 clubs involved in international transfers in 2024, 4,792 of which completed at least one incoming transfer and 1,887 of which completed at least one outgoing transfer. This difference is driven by the fact that transfers of out-of-contract players typically do not involve a releasing club and since they make up more than 60% of all transfers, a lower number of releasing clubs is therefore normal and to be expected. Individual clubs differ widely with respect to the number of transfers they complete throughout the year. While the vast majority of clubs completed no more than five transfers, several clubs were involved in more than 20 transfers in 2024 alone. Figure 27: Distribution of clubs by number of incoming and outgoing transfers Number of clubs releasing playersNumber of clubs engaging players 1 940 464 1,268 2,059 778 218 767 117 7 6-102-5 11-20 >20 61 Number of transfers per club2. Men's professional football 28 Of the 1,738 clubs that were involved in at least one transfer with fees in 2024, 1,103 (63.5%) received more fees for outgoing transfers than they spent on incoming transfers. In Figure 28, these clubs are all shown above the diagonal line. Some 740 clubs completed both incoming and outgoing transfers with fees, so the majority of clubs (998) appear on one of the two axis lines in the graph: 360 clubs spent money on transfers but did not receive any transfer fees and 638 clubs received a transfer fee for at least one outgoing transfer while not completing any incoming transfers involving a fee. Figure 28: Distribution of clubs by transfer fees spent and received in 2024 AFC OFCCAF UEFAConcacaf CONMEBOL Transfer fees spent (USD)

transfer fee for at least one outgoing transfer while not completing any incoming transfers involving a fee. Figure 28: Distribution of clubs by transfer fees spent and received in 2024 AFC OFCCAF UEFAConcacaf CONMEBOL Transfer fees spent (USD) 0 100,000 10m 10,000 1m 100m 0 100,000 10m10,000 1m 100m2. Men's professional football 29 2.6.1 T op spending clubs in 2024 The following pages show each confederation’s highest-spending clubs in terms of transfer fees and the change to their ranking compared to 2023. Due to the small number of transfers with fees involvin