How Football Agents Make Money
Being a football agent can be a highly lucrative career, but understanding the revenue streams and how commissions work is crucial. In this article, we’ll break down exactly how agents make money in football, who they can represent, and the different structures of commission payments.
Part One: Earning as a Licensed FIFA Agent
In this section, we focus on the ways agents who are FIFA-licensed can generate income. FIFA regulations require an agent license to represent players, clubs, and coaches in official contract negotiations.
Who Can an Agent Represent?
Under FIFA regulations, an agent can represent:
- Players – The most common representation, negotiating contracts and transfers on behalf of players.
- Buying Clubs – Helping a club sign a player by facilitating the deal.
- Selling Clubs – Assisting a club in transferring a player to another team.
- Coaches/Managers – Representing coaches in contract negotiations and job placements.
- Football Federations – Agents can also represent coaches in negotiations with national federations.
- MLS & Single-Entity Leagues – In leagues like Major League Soccer, deals are often conducted with the league itself rather than individual clubs, and agents receive payment accordingly.
These are the key stakeholders that FIFA-licensed agents interact with on a daily basis, creating multiple opportunities to generate income.
How FIFA Agents Get Paid
One of the most widely accepted industry standards is that an agent earns 10% of a player’s gross salary per year. However, payment structures vary:
- Annual or Split Payments – Some clubs pay agents yearly, while others split payments into two installments (e.g., March/April and September/October).
- Upfront Fees – In longer contracts, agents can negotiate partial upfront payments.
- Guaranteed Payments – Agents can negotiate a clause ensuring they get paid for the full contract term, even if the player changes agents or leaves the club.
If an agent negotiates a four-year contract for a player but the player switches to another agent after two years, the original agent continues receiving their commission for the remainder of the original deal. The only exception is if the player signs a new contract—then the new agent earns their commission on that deal.
For club transfers, agents representing the selling club usually earn around 10% of the transfer fee, while agents representing the buying club may take a percentage of the player’s salary. Agents often collaborate, splitting commissions in deals where multiple intermediaries are involved.
Part Two: Commercial & Sponsorship Deals
While many football agents focus solely on contract negotiations, commercial deals and sponsorship agreements offer massive earning potential—and here’s the best part:
You don’t need a FIFA agent license to negotiate commercial deals.
Most agents focus only on club contracts, but sponsorships can be even more lucrative. Unlike player contracts, where commission rates typically hover around 10%, commercial deals often command 20% or more—double the earnings potential.
Types of Commercial Deals Agents Can Negotiate
- Player Sponsorships – Boot deals, personal sponsorships, and ambassador roles.
- Coach Sponsorships – Brand partnerships, education deals, and endorsements.
- Club Sponsorships – Shirt sponsors, training kit sponsors, and official partnerships.
- Federation & League Sponsorships – Tournament sponsorships and grassroots funding.
Many agents forget to include commercial rights in their representation contracts. If you’re representing a player, make sure the contract explicitly states that you have the right to negotiate sponsorship deals on their behalf.
Agents can also bring commercial deals to players they don’t directly represent and split the commission with that player’s agent. This makes sponsorships a major networking opportunity in the football economy.
Part Three: Earning as a FIFA Match Agent
A FIFA Match Agent is responsible for organizing friendly matches between clubs, national teams, or entire pre-season tournaments.
How Much Can a FIFA Match Agent Earn?
- Match agents typically earn between 10% and 20% of the match fee.
- In high-profile matches, agents can make millions of dollars just for setting up a single game.
Becoming a FIFA Match Agent is much easier than becoming a player agent—it’s simply an online application with no exam required. Once approved, you gain official FIFA Match Agent status, allowing you to legally broker matches between clubs.
Part Four: Making Money with Recruitment Deals
While most agents focus on players and coaches, there’s another growing revenue stream in football: recruiting executives.
What is a Recruitment Deal?
Recruitment deals involve helping sporting directors, chief scouts, board members, or other club executives find jobs at new clubs or football federations.
Earnings Potential:
- 25% to 35% of the executive’s first-year salary (paid only once).
This is common in England, the U.S., and most of Europe but less established in other regions. However, as football becomes more professionalized, clubs increasingly expect to pay recruiters for securing top executives.
Part Five: Becoming a Business Partner, Shareholder & Facilitator
Football agents aren’t just dealmakers for players—some of the biggest agents broker club ownership deals between investors and clubs.
Why is this a huge opportunity?
- Agents have connections with club owners and wealthy investors.
- Some investors want to buy a club but don’t know how to enter football.
- Some club owners want to sell but need the right buyer.
- Agents can act as the bridge between buyers and sellers, securing a percentage of the deal.
Commissions for club acquisitions can be huge
- Deals can be worth tens or hundreds of millions.
- Agents can earn a flat fee or a percentage of the transaction, making this a major income stream.
Beyond that, agents can negotiate equity in startups, partner in real estate deals, or build sports tech businesses with their clients. Football is an entry point into the business world, and the most successful agents leverage their networks to expand into other industries.
Final Thoughts: The Power of Knowledge & Relationships
People often say that football is all about who you know, not what you know. But the truth is:
If you combine “who you know” with “what you know,” you will be one of the most successful people in football.
- Knowledge alone won’t make you money.
- Contacts alone won’t make you successful.
- But when you combine the two—expert knowledge and strong relationships—you become unstoppable.
So, always develop your knowledge and build strong relationships in the industry. If you master both, you will make a lot of deals, a lot of money, and have a lasting impact in football.
“Show Me the Money!” – The Agent’s Path to Wealth
Football agents who think beyond just transfers have the potential to build a thriving, high-income career. The football industry is much bigger than just contracts—it’s a global business full of commercial opportunities.
The best agents? They’re the ones who see every angle of the game.