The Illusion of Guaranteed Payment
Football agents are often portrayed as individuals who earn millions in commissions, but the reality is quite different for the vast majority. While the top 5% of agents working on blockbuster deals with elite clubs in the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, or MLS receive their payments on time, the remaining 95% struggle to collect their fees, sometimes waiting months or even years, and in many cases, never getting paid at all.
Even when an agent successfully negotiates a transfer, finalizes the paperwork, and facilitates the deal, their commission is not always guaranteed. Many agents are left chasing payments from clubs that delay or outright refuse to pay, leveraging their power to pressure agents into silence.
The Tactics Clubs Use to Delay or Avoid Payments
Agents frequently hear the same excuses from clubs:
- “We’ll pay you as soon as possible.”
- “We’re facing financial difficulties right now, but we’ll settle it soon.”
- “If you sue us, you’ll never work with us again.”
- “Your player is still at our club—do you really want to risk the relationship?”
These tactics put agents in a difficult position. They fear that taking legal action could damage their future business relationships with the club or even negatively impact their players’ careers. Clubs know this and use it to their advantage, making agents the last in line for payments, if they get paid at all.
While a deal in the Bundesliga, Premier League, or MLS usually ensures timely payment, agents operating in other parts of the world face an entirely different reality. Delays, disputes, and outright non-payment are common, especially in markets with weaker legal protections.
International Deals: A Legal Nightmare for Agents
The problem is even worse in international transfers. If a deal is done between a club in, say, South America and another in Asia, the legal complexities of different jurisdictions make it difficult for an agent to pursue their claim. Many agents lack the financial resources to engage in costly legal battles in foreign courts, especially when dealing with clubs in countries where football governance is weaker or less transparent.
Unlike players, who have FIFA-mandated protections ensuring they receive their wages even if clubs struggle financially, agents have no such guarantee. If a club refuses to pay, agents are left with only one option, suing, a process that can take years and may still not result in payment.
The FIFA Agents’ Chamber: A Promised Solution That Never Came
When FIFA introduced the new FIFA Agent Regulations (FFAR), one of the key promises was the establishment of the FIFA Agents’ Chamber, a dedicated dispute resolution body that would handle cases of unpaid agent commissions in international transfers. This was a much-needed mechanism, as it would have provided agents with a structured, enforceable way to claim their rightful earnings without having to go through costly and complex international legal battles.
However, despite being included in the regulation, the FIFA Agents’ Chamber has been suspended. FIFA put the chamber on hold along with several other disputed aspects of the new agent regulations, but what’s puzzling is that this specific provision was something that had widespread support. Unlike other controversial rules, there was no significant opposition to the chamber’s creation, so why has it been suspended?
As it stands today, agents dealing with international transfers remain vulnerable. Without a central FIFA mechanism, they must resort to local courts or dispute resolution bodies in different countries, often leading to years of legal struggles and additional financial burdens. This disproportionately affects smaller agents and those working in markets where legal enforcement of contracts is weak.
The Darker Side: Corruption, Threats, and Intimidation
In certain countries, the problem goes far beyond financial struggles, agents face corruption, intimidation, and even threats for simply trying to claim their rightful earnings.
There are cases where organized crime structures, corrupt politicians, or individuals with close ties to political figures threaten agents and pressure them not to take legal action. Agents are often told, “If you take us to court, there will be consequences.” This creates an environment of fear where local agents with no major legal backing or support system are forced to abandon their claims rather than risk their safety.
If an agent is working in such a market, where can they turn? If FIFA does not enforce strict regulations, how can these agents, who have worked for years on deals, secure their payments? Without a secure, independent dispute resolution system, these agents are left powerless against the forces controlling certain clubs.
What Needs to Change?
The football world needs stronger, enforceable regulations that ensure agents are paid on time. Some potential solutions include:
1. Stronger FIFA enforcement – FIFA must ensure that the Agents’ Chamber functions effectively, with real consequences for clubs that fail to pay agents.
2. Automatic payment structures – Similar to how FIFA distributes solidarity payments and training compensation, agent commissions could be processed through a centralized system to ensure timely payments.
3. Stronger domestic regulations – National federations should implement stricter guidelines to ensure clubs honor their contracts with agents.
4. Collective representation – Agents should push for stronger unionization or industry-wide advocacy groups to protect their rights.
Conclusion: The Reality for 95% of Agents
While the top 5% of agents working on major deals with elite clubs in the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, or MLS usually receive their payments on time, the remaining 95% face constant struggles to get what they are owed. These are agents who have invested time, energy, and financial resources to build their careers, only to be left chasing commissions for deals they have already completed.
It’s time to change the narrative. Football always focuses on the success stories of superstar agents, but the majority of agents operate in a system where making a deal doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll get paid. In some cases, they don’t just face financial difficulties, they face intimidation, threats, and political or criminal pressure that makes it impossible to fight back.
Until FIFA enforces proper structures and protections, agents, especially those working in international markets, will continue to be treated as disposable middlemen rather than respected professionals with a right to fair compensation.
The FIFA Agents’ Chamber must be reinstated and activated, and football’s governing bodies must take agent payments as seriously as they take player wages. Without real reform, the industry will continue to exploit the very people who make so many deals happen.
While clubs wouldn’t dare delay player wages without severe repercussions, they often see agent fees as optional or negotiable post-deal. The industry needs to move toward a system where agent payments are just as structured and enforceable as player salaries.
Until that happens, the reality remains: making a deal as an agent doesn’t mean you’ll get paid.