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Football · Level 10: Professional · Sub-level 10.107

The Business of Player Agents

10 tests · 100 facts · updated 12 October 2026 · markdown

Agents and the rules around them: from licences to intermediaries and back, FIFA's 2023 rules and the court fights, famous agents and deals, third-party ownership, families as agents, minors and the contested questions.

Each test below is ten questions on Insporta. The list under a test is what the questions check: one fact per question, with the source it was written from. Read it before the test, or come back from a wrong answer.

Test 1From licensed agents to intermediariesTake a test

  1. National associations ran the exams and issued the licences.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  2. Intermediaries only had to register with the national association for each deal.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  3. FIFA estimated that only a minority of deals involved licensed agents.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  4. It was only a recommendation, and fees rose sharply in the years that followed.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  5. FIFA used that rise as a main reason to bring licensing back.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  6. The first new exam was held in April 2023.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  7. Agents are licensed and listed by FIFA, with national rules for domestic deals.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  8. 1990s, 2015 and 2023.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  9. Licensed agents must keep up professional development to keep the licence.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  10. The word 'intermediary' covered anyone who registered to act in a deal.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

Test 2FIFA's Football Agent Regulations of 2023Take a test

  1. The cap was 5% for players earning less than that.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  2. The caps aimed to stop fees swelling alongside record transfers.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  3. Acting for all three, known as triple representation, is banned.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  4. Clear records make hidden payments and conflicts of interest harder.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  5. A percentage of a very large salary produced fees FIFA saw as out of proportion.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  6. Acting for seller, buyer and player at once is a clear conflict of interest.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  7. The agreement sets out the fee, its length and the services provided.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  8. 3% and 5% of the player's pay, and 10% of the transfer fee.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  9. The fee must stay within the agreement and the caps in force.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  10. The caps for the player's side were 3% or 5% of his pay.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

Test 3Agents' rules in the courtsTake a test

  1. Agents' groups had challenged the rules before they took effect.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  2. The German court treated the fee caps as a likely breach of competition law.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  3. Agents argued that FIFA was using its dominant position to fix their prices.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  4. National courts can refer questions of EU law to it.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  5. Rules that limit markets must be justified and proportionate.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  6. The licence and exam requirements were not the target of the order; the caps were.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  7. The court said rules on new competitions needed transparent and fair criteria.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  8. December 2022, April 2023, July 2023 and October 2023.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  9. The European court interprets the law; the national court applies it.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  10. Zurich is home to FIFA, Nyon to UEFA and Geneva to many other bodies.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

Test 4Famous agentsTake a test

  1. He built his agency from Portugal into one of the most powerful in football.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  2. Rafaela Pimenta, his long-time partner in the business, took over his clients.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  3. Zahavi had built his name in English football in the 1990s and 2000s.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  4. Barnett negotiated Bale's world-record move to Real Madrid in 2013.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  5. Pimenta, a Brazilian lawyer, had worked with Raiola for decades.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  6. The deal led to a Premier League fine for West Ham over third-party rights.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  7. Pere Guardiola has represented players and later ran a football business.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  8. 2003, 2013 and 2016.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  9. 1990s, 2009, 2016 and 2022.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  10. Many of his early clients came through Portuguese clubs.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

Test 5Big deals and their agentsTake a test

  1. The figure emerged in the Football Leaks documents.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  2. The €222 million clause was the largest ever paid.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  3. Pogba's 2016 move then became the new record.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  4. The fine was £5.5 million; West Ham were not docked points.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  5. That link is why FIFA set percentage caps rather than fixed sums.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  6. Agents often negotiate it as part of the player's package.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  7. Tax authorities watch these payments closely.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  8. 2013, 2016 and 2017.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  9. In Spain, the clause is deposited with La Liga.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  10. Pini Zahavi was among those who helped arrange his move to Paris.

    Source: FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

Test 6How agents are paidTake a test

  1. Clubs paying for the player's agent is common, and tax rules treat part of it as a benefit.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  2. If the agent is really working for the player, the club is paying the player's costs.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  3. The totals show how spending on agents has grown.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  4. Tax authorities check that image payments are not disguised wages.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  5. Clubs give mandates so agents can find buyers or targets on their behalf.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  6. Many agents earn as much from renewals as from moves.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  7. Large agencies now look after a player's whole career and image.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  8. The agent's fee is usually settled once the main deal is clear.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  9. The agent is paid under the mandate once the sale goes through.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  10. Renewing a contract is a negotiation the agent is paid for, like a transfer.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

Test 7Third-party ownership and Football LeaksTake a test

  1. When the player was sold, the investor took a share of the fee.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  2. An investor wanting a return might push for a sale that suited him, not the player or club.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  3. Selling a share early brought in cash that clubs could not raise elsewhere.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  4. Doyen held shares in players including Radamel Falcao.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  5. The challenge failed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  6. Published by European newspapers from 2016, they revealed contracts and hidden fees.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  7. He was convicted in Portugal in 2023, while the leaks had fed investigations across Europe.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  8. 2007, 2015 and 2016.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  9. The ban ended new deals of this kind from 2015.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  10. Existing deals were allowed to run their course; new ones were banned.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

Test 8Families as agentsTake a test

  1. Keeping business in the family is common among the biggest stars.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  2. His father's company has handled contracts and commercial deals.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  3. Mbappé's father coached him as a boy at AS Bondy.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  4. The biggest contracts involve huge sums that families prefer to keep close.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  5. Many families bring in lawyers and agencies to work alongside them.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  6. Alf-Inge Haaland played in England in the 1990s and 2000s.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  7. The dispute went before French football's bodies and the courts.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  8. Debut in 2015, PSG from 2017 and Real Madrid from 2024.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  9. To 2013, 2013-17, 2017-23 and from 2023.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  10. Erling Haaland was born in Leeds while his father played there.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

Test 9Agents and young playersTake a test

  1. Rules on approaching minors try to limit this race.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  2. Other exceptions cover players living near a border and moves within the EU and EEA from 16.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  3. The club must also provide education and training on top of football.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  4. Both the player's home and the club must be within 50 km of the border.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  5. Academy scholarships usually start at 16.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  6. Clubs must apply and show the move fits one of the exceptions.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  7. Protecting education and family life is the stated aim.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  8. Without approval, the player cannot be registered.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  9. Scholarships usually start at 16 and professional contracts at 17.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  10. The exception covers families near a border, such as France's with Spain or Germany.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

Test 10Conflicts of interest and contested questionsTake a test

  1. Some moves suit the agent more than the player; many do not. It depends on the case.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  2. The rules limit such dual roles for this reason.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  3. Supporters of agents reply that they are paid for real work.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  4. Without an adviser, a young player faces experienced club negotiators alone.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  5. They argued the market should set fees.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  6. Leagues punish clubs, players and agents involved.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  7. FIFA's rules cover international deals; the FA regulates agents in deals within England.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

  8. Penalties can fall on the club, the player and the agent.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  9. Personal terms often move in parallel, but the fee usually comes first.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · applied

  10. Chelsea, José Mourinho and Cole were all fined after a meeting with Cole and his agent.

    Source: FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting · recall

Sources

IFAB, FIFA and UEFA regulations and reports / club and federation statements / published coaching literature / peer-reviewed studies / contemporary reporting

  • FIFA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (2015) and Football Agent Regulations (2023); CAS and court decisions; contemporary reporting50
  • FIFA regulations; FA and Premier League rules and published figures; court and disciplinary decisions; contemporary reporting50