FIFA reports record-breaking transfer activity in football

Football’s transfer market has officially entered a new era. FIFA’s Transfer Matching System recorded total spending during the summer 2026 window that exceeded 10.4 billion euros, crossing the 10 billion euro threshold for the first time in the history of the sport. The previous record was 9.9 billion euros, set just one year earlier during the summer 2025 window. In other words, the market grew by roughly half a billion euros in a single cycle. The numbers behind the milestone Some of the window’s most talked-about deals give a sense of where that money went. Enzo Fernández moved to Manchester City for £125 million, or approximately €145 million. Morgan Rogers joined Chelsea for £117 million. The summer window was not the only one rewriting the record books. January 2026 also came in historic, with more than 5,900 international transfers completed and total fees surpassing USD 1.9 billion. Both figures set new benchmarks for January activity. Women’s football contributed meaningfully to the January totals as well, with spending in that segment exceeding USD 10 million during the window. For a longer view, FIFA’s Global Transfer Report for 2025 recorded total international transfe...