FIFA Report 2023: Football is booming – records for transfers and income!

FIFA Report 2023: Football is booming – records for transfers and income!

What's happening in the football sky? An exciting duel is on the agenda in the coming days when Girona FC face RCD Espanyol on September 28, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. There is great anticipation for this clash, not only among fans but also in the statistics of European football. Bleacher Report reports that such exciting encounters have resulted in an increase in the number of spectators in the stadiums and in front of the television in recent years.

Football captivates millions of people worldwide. The German Bundesliga in particular has managed to regularly achieve peak numbers in terms of spectator numbers. Loud Statista the Bundesliga attracts the most fans over the years. The big names in football, such as Pelé, Beckenbauer and Matthäus, continue to shape the image of the game. In recent years, however, the financial dimensions of football have changed enormously: player transfers now reach three-digit millions, which should make football even more attractive.

Growth figures and markets

FIFA, the most important association in football, has highlighted developments in men's football on a global level in its current professional football report 2023. A total of 128,694 professional players were counted in all 211 member associations, active for 3,986 clubs in 135 countries. This shows how dynamically football is developing worldwide. Mexico tops the list with 9,464 professional players, followed by Spain and England, underpinning international interest in the major leagues. The report published by FIFA is not only informative, but also represents an important resource for clubs to set and maintain global standards Fifa.

Another important aspect is the financial flows in football. In Germany alone, the Bundesliga's turnover can exceed 4.8 billion euros. This is primarily thanks to the high TV revenue, which was around 4.4 billion euros between 2021 and 2025. UEFA is paying its associations around 78 million euros in the current season, which shows how important the leagues are for global football.

Women in football

What is particularly worth mentioning is the increase in the number of members in the DFB, which reached a record number of around 8 million in 2025. A sixth of them are women, which shows that there has also been a lot of movement in women's football. The DFB is the sports association with the largest number of members in Germany and has over 24,000 clubs under its roof.

Football remains the number one sport in Germany, both in general and in professional sports. Year after year, new transfer and wage records are set, particularly in the English Premier League, which for many has a golden tinge, while developments in Germany have shown that business is booming here too. This means exciting times and exciting games in the Bundesliga not only for the clubs, but also for the fans.