data shows record 2026 mid-year transfer window

The World Cup premium

The standout figure is the World Cup effect. The report says more than a third of the total spend was tied to players involved in the 2026 World Cup.

• More than 260 World Cup players changed clubs.
• Those deals involved 47 nationalities.
• Combined fees topped $3.3 billion.

That is the classic post-tournament market in overdrive. Visibility rises, leverage rises, and clubs with cash tend to act before prices climb even higher. The report highlighted moves involving Rodri to Barcelona and Bradley Barcola to Liverpool as emblematic of that trend.

England’s spending power

No country shaped the window more than England. English clubs accounted for $3.02 billion in men’s international transfer spending, the largest share of the market. That underlines a familiar reality: even when the market becomes global, the Premier League economy still sets the pace.

England also led spending in the women’s game, where the same report says clubs spent $8 million on international transfers. The pattern is hard to miss - the deepest budgets continue to sit in England, and they are influencing both sides of the sport.

Records in the women’s market too

The women’s market also hit a new high.

• International transfer spending reached $28.6 million.
• That total was more than double 2025.
• 1,406 international moves were recorded.
• That was a 19.2% rise on the previous record.

The next question is whether this was a World Cup spike or the new baseline. The next transfer window will answer that quickly, especially if English clubs keep spending at this level and elite World Cup performers continue to dominate the shortlist.