The summer 2025 transfer window has slammed shut, and whilst there are still a few leagues like Liga Portugal, Super Lig, Liga MX and the Saudi Premier League whose windows are still open for a few more days, just about every team has gotten all of their business out of the way.
According to a recent report from FIFA, the recently closed summer window was a ground-breaking one for football. Whereas the men’s market continues to register unprecedented levels of activity, the women’s game shows no signs of slowing down its rapid growth, underlining its increasing professionalisation and appeal to clubs and players worldwide.
In men’s professional football, almost 12,000 international transfers were concluded during the 2025 mid-year window, a new record. Some of those were free transfers, like Valentin Rosier to Osasuna, whilst others involved a transfer fee.
All things considered, spending on transfer fees rose to $9.76 billion, the largest mid-year figure ever recorded and an increase of more than 50% compared to the same period in 2024. England accounted for a third of that spending with over $3 billion in transfer expenditures, the highest amount ever spent by a single association. England, Portugal, and Brazil saw the most incoming transfers on the male side.
As far as women’s professional football goes, we saw a record of more than 1,100 transfers completed. Spending on transfer fees reached $12.3 million, an increase of more than 80% compared to mid-year 2024, with the USA accounting for a third of this expenditure with just over $4 million invested, the highest-ever amount reported in the women’s game. Germany, England and the USA led national associations in terms of the most incoming transfers.
“We have observed a transfer market in full swing both in men’s and women’s football”, said Emilio Garcia Silvero, FIFA’s Chief Legal & Compliance Officer.
“While this is a relevant development in men’s football a year ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the increasing figures in women’s football transfers are equally remarkable as they confirm the exponential growth of the women’s game at club level.”