Expenditure on player consultants in international soccer reached a record high of €814.4 million in 2023. English clubs alone spent more than €256 million, German clubs “only” €81.6 million
The figures quoted in the FIFA report only relate to international transfers, meaning that the total volume of fees paid to Bundesliga clubs for intra-league transfers must be assumed to be even higher. The total increase in consultancy fees in the global soccer business was 42.5% compared to the previous year.
English clubs accounted for the lion’s share of this increase. Their expenditure amounted to a total of 256 million euros. Although Saudi Arabian clubs did not employ agents for the sale of players, they had the second-highest figure for agent fees for signings – namely €78.8 million. In 2023, FIFA counted a total of 3353 international transfers in which agents were involved. This is also a record
Record in women’s soccer too
A sound barrier was also broken in women’s soccer, even if the 1.28 million euros in consultancy fees read like peanuts compared to men’s football
Coveted FIFA license: Only a third pass
So it’s no wonder that the FIFA license for soccer agents is in such high demand. As FIFA also announced in its annual report, a total of 9207 people passed the examination for this professional qualification in 2023, with 32.6 percent passing
