The previous record was in 2019 when worldwide spending on commissions to agents involved in the international transfer of players was US$654.7 million.

The 2022 amount was US$623.2 million.

English clubs were the biggest spenders by far this year with a total outlay of more than US$280 million, while 86.6% of the worldwide expenditure came from European clubs, Fifa added.

Saudi Arabian clubs went on a spending spree this year, splashing out almost US$1 billion in the transfer window to lure top players from Europe and they had the second-biggest expenditure on engaging club agents at US$86 million.

“The number of international transfers with an agent acting on behalf of the player reached a record high in 2023 with a total of 3,353 transfers,” Fifa said in its report.

“This corresponds to 15.4% of all transfers and represents an increase of 8.4% compared to 2022.”

In a first for women’s football, professional clubs spent more than US$1 million in agent service fees, with the total reaching just under US$1.4 million.

Agents have been at loggerheads with Fifa after they lost an appeal in July to block new regulations that would cap their transfer commissions and introduce exams to secure a licence.

Fifa said it received 19,973 licensing applications this year with 9,207 taking the exam, which 32.6% passed.

However, an English FA tribunal set up in June ruled earlier this month that the proposed Fifa regulations are incompatible with British competition law.