Football clubs spent an all-time high of $7.36 billion on player transfer fees in the 2023 mid-year window, the governing body FIFA said.
The figure reached between June 1 and Sept. 1 represents an increase of 47.2% compared to the 2022 mid-year period and a 26.8% rise compared to the previous mid-year record set in 2019, FIFA said in a statement.
“England topped the list… when it came to spending on transfer fees ($1.98 billion), the number of incoming transfers (449) and the number of outgoing transfers (514),” FIFA Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Emilio Garcia Silvero said.
“Germany, however, was the number one in terms of receipts from transfer fees ($1.11 billion) – this being the first time ever that clubs from a single association have received more than $1 billion in the mid-year transfer window alone.”
Saudi Arabia was the second highest spender with a total of $875.4 million, after players such as Brazil star Neymar, Senegal forward Sadio Mane and Brazil midfielder Fabinho signed for Saudi clubs.
As a result, clubs from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) region accounted for 14% of the global transfer spending, marking the first time that teams from a confederation other than UEFA have surpassed 10% of the total, FIFA said.
France ($859.7 million) completed the top three of the biggest spenders on player transfer activity, ahead of Germany ($762.4 million), Italy ($711.0 million) and Spain ($405.6 million).
In the women’s game, spending on transfer fees more than doubled compared to the 2022 mid-year window, reaching a new mid-year record of $3.0 million.
($1 = 0.8015 pounds)
PHOTO: Neymar warms up prior to the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification soccer match between between Brazil and Bolivia at Estatal Jornalista Edgar Augusto Proençaen stadium in Belem, Brazil. EPA-EFE/Sebastiao Moreira
