FIFA TMS: 17,077 international transfers (-5.4%) for a total of $5.63bn (-23.4%) in 2020

Men's professional football clubs spent $5.63bn (€4.59bn as of 31/12/2020) on international transfer fees in the year 2020, down 5.4% compared to 2019, according to the Global Transfer Market Report 2020 published by FIFA on 18/01/2021.

"A total of 17,077 international transfers were completed, representing a decrease of 5.4% compared to 2019 and the first decline since 2010, although the number of transfers in 2020 were still higher than they were in 2018. The downward trend is clearly due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those 17,077 transfers involved a record high of 4,178 clubs and 187 member associations, with 14,432 distinct players representing 180 different nationalities," explained the report from FIFA TMS (Transfer Matching System), a platform that records international transfers.

For the second consecutive year, the Global Transfer Market 2020 also includes international transfers for women's football (1,035 transfers in 2020, +23.7%) and for the first time those of amateur players (17,632 transfers involving 10,465 clubs since July 2020).

"Football player…