Football agencies – how much do agents earn?

Football agents are intermediaries between players and clubs who are responsible for signing contracts, negotiating terms of cooperation, providing legal support for agreements, and even shaping the public image of athletes. In modern football, their role is similar to that of business strategists: they influence not only the player’s career, but also the transfer policy of clubs and financial decisions worth millions of euros. As in the best mobile deposit slots industry, where users look for favorable conditions to play with minimal costs, in football, agents try to get the most out of every deal — sometimes even more than the players themselves.

The official duties of a football agent include:

Signing contracts with clubs or sponsors;
Negotiating salary, bonus, and prize terms;
Legal support — reviewing contracts, protecting interests in case of conflicts;
Marketing and PR, including finding advertising deals;
Career counseling, including choosing a new club or league;
Psychological support, especially for young players or in crisis situations.

Types of agents:

Officially registered agents (FIFA-licensed) are individuals or agencies that have been certified in accordance with FIFA and national association rules. They are authorized to participate in transfers and represent the interests of players or clubs at an official level. In 2023, FIFA introduced a new licensing and registration system for agents, which should make the market more transparent.
Illegal or “shadow” intermediaries are individuals who effectively perform the functions of agents but do not have the appropriate license. They operate through front men, circumventing schemes, or bypassing official channels. Such intermediaries often appear in scandals involving excessive commissions, fraud, or manipulation of young players.

Relations between the agent, the player, and the club

Ideally, the agent works in the best interests of the player — it is with the player that the agency contract is signed, setting out the terms of cooperation, duration, commission, and obligations of the parties.

In some cases, an agent may also represent the club (for example, when purchasing a player), but under the new FIFA rules, it is prohibited to represent both parties at the same time in order to avoid a conflict of interest.

In reality, however, complex schemes often arise where the agent agrees with the club on additional remuneration or receives money from both the player and the club, which calls into question the objectivity of his actions. That is why the role of agents is the subject of much debate regarding ethics, transparency, and accountability in the football business.

How agents are paid

Although football agents are not formally employees of the club or player, they receive remuneration for their services according to clearly defined schemes. The main sources of income for agents are commissions, which depend on the type of agreement: player contract, transfer, or additional financial instruments such as advertising or bonuses.

1. The most common type of remuneration for an agent is a fixed percentage of the player’s salary. In most cases, this is between 5% and 10% of the player’s annual salary. The parties may agree on a one-off payment or split it into several instalments over the duration of the contract. Example:

If a player signs a contract with a salary of €2 million per year, the agent may receive:

€100,000 (5%) or
€200,000 (10%) per year, depending on the terms of the contract.

This type of commission is often paid by the player himself, but there are cases when the club covers the costs, either partially or in full.

2. When a player transfers from one club to another, the agent is entitled to a commission for mediating the transfer. In this case, the payment is usually made by the purchasing club and is calculated as a percentage of the transfer fee. Average figures:

In most cases, this is between 5% and 10% of the total transfer fee.
In large deals, it can be up to 15% or even more (sometimes due to bonus agreements or hidden payments).

If a club buys a player for €20 million, the agent may receive:

€1 million (5%) or
€2 million (10%) as a commission for mediation.

3. In addition to contracts and transfers, agents often engage in marketing activities for players. This may include:

Advertising contracts with brands (Nike, Adidas, Puma, etc.).
Bonuses for signing a contract or achieving results (e.g., qualifying for the Champions League).
Sale of a player’s image rights — i.e., the use of their image in the media or commerce.

In such cases, agents may receive a fixed fee or a percentage of the deal (up to 20–30%).

Typical amounts and percentages

According to FIFA and European football associations, the standard agent’s commission is between 5% and 10% of the contract or transfer fee.

In some cases, especially when working with top players, the commission can reach 15–20%.

5% — the lower limit, often applied to young or lesser-known players.
10% — the standard for most professional contracts in the top leagues.
15–20% — unique cases of star transfers, complex deals, or “dual representation.”

There is increasing information about agents who receive separate fees from both the club and the player, which can double or triple their total income.

Real-life examples: top agents and their earnings

Mino Raiola. One of the most famous soccer agents in the world. He has represented stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Erling Haaland, and Paul Pogba.

According to various estimates, Raiola earned over €25 million from Pogba’s transfer from Juventus to Manchester United in 2016 alone, including:

approximately €10 million from the player,
and another €15 million in commission from the club.

Jorge Mendes, a Portuguese agent who represents Cristiano Ronaldo, José Mourinho, Ruben Dias, and many others.

In the 2020s, Forbes included him in its list of the richest sports agents, with an income of over $100 million per year.
His company, Gestifute, handles transfers worth billions of euros.

The most high-profile transfers are usually accompanied by huge agent fees.

Paul Pogba → Manchester United (2016)

Transfer fee: €105 million.
Mino Raiola’s commission: over €25 million. This sparked a storm of criticism from football officials and the media, as the agent earned more than most Premier League players in several seasons.

Conclusion

The football agency system is a complex and powerful mechanism that plays a key role in modern sport. On the one hand, agents do help players achieve career success, negotiate, protect their interests, and open up new opportunities. On the other hand, it is the lack of transparency in commissions, conflicts of interest, and excessive profits of individual agents that are raising more and more questions in society and among football authorities.

Is it fair that an agent can earn tens of millions of euros for a single deal — sometimes more than the player or coach themselves? This is a matter of debate even among professionals. The agent market needs clearer regulation, commission limits, and greater transparency in deals. FIFA has already taken the first steps in this direction, but a complete overhaul of the system is only just beginning.

The future lies in transparent, honest, and balanced agencies, where not only profit but also responsibility to players, clubs, and football as a whole will play a key role.