A new report titled The Beautiful Game: BofA’s World Cup 2026 Guide by Bank of America forecasts a radical transformation in football’s global economy, including the possibility of €1 billion transfer fees by 2031 if current market trends continue.
The analysis, produced by the bank’s economic, financial and strategic research division ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, outlines a future in which elite football talent becomes increasingly financialized—potentially traded and valued similarly to stocks.
According to the report, transfer fees in football have been growing at an average annual rate of around 37%. If this trajectory continues, the sport could witness its first €1 billion transfer within the next decade.
For context, the current record remains Neymar’s €220 million move from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017—the only deal to surpass the €200 million mark so far.
The report also notes that while rumors occasionally circulate around mega-valuations for players such as Vinícius Jr. or Kylian Mbappé, these figures are often driven more by political or strategic motives than by true market valuation.
One of the more striking projections is that footballers could increasingly be treated as investable assets, similar to equities, where clubs and investors trade value based on performance and potential returns.
Beyond transfers, Bank of America also predicts a structural shift in how football is broadcast. It introduces the concept of “premflix”—a hybrid model inspired by the Premier League and Netflix—where major leagues may eventually launch their own dedicated streaming platforms.
The report suggests that football can learn from models used in the NBA and NFL, where centralized media rights and direct-to-consumer platforms have significantly boosted revenues and global reach.
The idea is not entirely new. A similar concept was previously explored by A22 Sports Management through the proposed “Unify” platform tied to the European Super League project, though the initiative ultimately collapsed after losing most of its supporting clubs, with the exception of Real Madrid.