How long are football contracts?
Shorter than most people think. In 2025, 52 per cent of contracts signed in international transfers in men's professional football ran twelve months or less, loans excluded. Most moves involved a player whose previous contract had ended: 62.5 per cent of international transfers were out of contract players.
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Most contracts run a year or two
Long contracts are common at the top, where clubs protect a transfer fee. Below it, short deals are normal. In 2025, just over half of the contracts signed in international transfers ran twelve months or less (FIFA Global Transfer Report 2025, p. 18).
Most moves happen when a contract ends
62.5 per cent of international transfers in 2025 involved a player whose contract had ended, and those moves carried only 0.8 per cent of all fee money (FIFA Global Transfer Report 2025, p. 10). For most professionals, changing clubs means finding a new club at the end of a deal, not being sold.
What that means for a player
- Plan the next move a season ahead. With a one year deal, the next search starts almost as soon as you sign.
- Keep your record easy to check: your Transfermarkt profile, your minutes and a recent highlights video.
- Know your wage floor before you talk to clubs, and whether offers are net or gross.
What that means for a club
A large part of the squad will be out of contract every summer, and so will a large part of everyone else's. The players a club wants are often free to move. The question is whether the club hears about them in time.
You should not need an agent to be seen.
Paste your Transfermarkt link and a highlights video. Once a person approves it, your profile builds itself, and you can apply to open requests.
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Questions people also ask
What happens when a football contract expires?
The player becomes a free agent and can sign for any club without a transfer fee. Our article on expired contracts covers the details.
Are wages higher on short contracts?
Not as a rule. In 2025, 47.3 per cent of players who moved between countries signed for USD 25,000 a year or less in fixed pay (FIFA Global Transfer Report 2025, p. 19).