How to Get Your First Clients as a Football Agent

You passed the FIFA exam. You paid the fee. You received your license. Now comes the hardest part: getting clients.

According to the FIFA Agents Report 2025, only 1,559 of over 10,500 licensed agents earned commissions from international transfers. That means more than 85% of licensed agents did not generate any income from international deals throughout the year. The license is the entry requirement, but what generates income is something else: relationships, reputation, market knowledge, and the ability to offer real value to players and clubs.

This article is a practical guide for agents just starting out. No abstract theory — only concrete strategies to find, contact, and sign your first clients.

What this article covers

Before seeking clients: define your profile
Solo, in a small agency, or a large one?
Where to find players: the 7 main sources
How to make first contact without burning the opportunity
What value you can offer when you have no track record
The conversation with the family: key for young players
What not to do: RFAF rules on recruitment
Building your network with clubs and sporting directors
Digital tools for agents
Your first representation contract: don’t rush

Before seeking clients: define your profile

Don’t try to represent everyone. Agents who start with that mistake end up representing no one. Before going out to find clients, answer these questions:

What market do you know? If you grew up in Argentine football, your advantage is in youth divisions and the Argentine first division. If you live in Spain, your advantage is in La Liga’s lower categories. Start where you have contacts and local knowledge.

What type of players will you represent? Youth players seeking their first professional contract, lower league players aiming to move to Europe, professional female players in a growing market, or established players dissatisfied with their current representation.

What services will you offer beyond negotiation? The best agents are not just intermediaries in transfers — they are career advisors, personal brand consultants, logistics coordinators, and sometimes personal counselors.

Solo, in a small agency, or a large one?

Modality	Advantages	Disadvantages
Solo (independent)	Total freedom, you keep the entire commission, you build your own brand	No pre-existing contact network, no institutional backing, everything depends on you
Small agency	More autonomy than in a large agency, possibility to work on commission, specialization	Limited resources, smaller network, less initial credibility
Large agency	Wide contact network, brand backing, access to elite players, accelerated learning	You earn a salary (not full commission), less autonomy, internal competition

For a new agent, working as an employee or collaborator of an established agency is often the best path for the first 2-3 years. You learn the trade, build contacts, and later you can become independent with a real foundation.

Where to find players: the 7 sources

1. Youth divisions and local academies

The natural breeding ground. Attend youth division matches of clubs in your area. Observe players about to sign their first professional contract — remember that the RFAF allows contacting a minor only 6 months before they can sign their first contract, and with legal guardian consent. These players and their families often do not have representation yet.

2. Lower leagues and divisions

Second and third divisions in any country are full of talented players without agents. Many seek to move to a better league or the international market. Here your knowledge of the transfer system and your ability to open doors in other markets is your main value.

3. Digital scouting and sports CV platforms

Video analysis platforms like Wyscout and InStat are essential tools to identify players. But there are also platforms designed specifically for players to present themselves to the professional market.

Futbol CV (futbolcv.com) is a platform designed for professional and semi-professional players to create a complete sports profile — with biometric data, club history, videos, statistics, and direct contact — and connect with agents, clubs, and scouts worldwide. If you are an agent, create your free profile to access a verified player database seeking representation. If you are a player without an agent, create your profile and make your talent visible to those who can help you take the next step.

4. Professional social networks

LinkedIn is underestimated in football but it works. Publish content about FIFA regulations, transfer analysis, and market trends. Position yourself as a serious professional — not as someone who "wants to be an agent," but as someone who already is and has knowledge. Players and their families research agents before contacting them.

5. Tournaments and events

International youth tournaments, preseason competitions, and industry events (like Soccerex) are natural meeting points between agents, players, families, and club executives. Attending is not an expense — it’s an investment in your contact network.

6. Recommendations from coaches and fitness trainers

Youth division coaches and fitness trainers know players better than anyone. Build genuine relationships with them — without offering undue advantages (which RFAF expressly prohibits) — and eventually they will recommend you when a player needs representation.

7. Women’s football

The fastest growing segment. Commissions in women’s football doubled in 2025 and there is less competition among agents. Many professional female players still lack representation. Specializing in this market now will give you a huge competitive advantage in the coming years.

How to make first contact

Golden rules for first contact

Research before contacting. Know who the player is, their history, contractual situation, and if they already have an agent. If they have an [exclusive representation contract](/blog/contrato-de-representacion-entre-agente-y-jugador-modelo-y-clausulas-esenciales) in force with another agent, you can only contact them in the 2 months prior to expiration.
Be direct and professional. Introduce yourself with your name, FIFA license number, and a concrete value proposition: "I watched your matches with [team], I believe there are opportunities for you in [market], and I would like to explain how I can help you."
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. Don’t say "I’ll take you to the Premier League" if you’ve never closed a deal there. Players and families detect dishonesty — and word spreads fast.
Listen more than you talk. Understand what the player wants: more money? Playing abroad? Stability? Visibility? Your job is to align your services with their goals, not impose yours.
If the player is a minor, talk to the family first. RFAF requires legal guardian consent. Beyond regulation, parental trust is essential. Explain your experience, your work plan, and how the [representation contract](/blog/contrato-de-representacion-entre-agente-y-jugador-modelo-y-clausulas-esenciales) works. Recommend they seek independent legal advice — it’s your obligation and builds trust.

What value can you offer when you have no track record

This is the new agent’s dilemma: players want an agent with experience, but you can’t have experience without players. How to break the cycle?

Regulatory knowledge. If you studied for the exam and know the RFAF, the RETJ, training compensation rights, the solidarity mechanism, and transfer windows, you know more than 90% of players about how the system works. That knowledge is real value.

Market analysis. You can provide a personalized analysis for the player: what is their current market value? Which clubs are looking for their profile? Which leagues are accessible? Tools like Wyscout, Transfermarkt, and platforms like Futbol CV allow you to do this with concrete data.

Dedication. A super-agent with 200 clients won’t dedicate time to a third division player. You will. That personalized dedication is your most powerful competitive advantage at the start.

Growing contact network. Even if small at first, if you work it consistently it will grow. Every contact with a sporting director, scout, coach, or fellow agent adds to your professional capital.

What not to do: RFAF rules

RFAF expressly prohibits (art. 16, sec. 3): offering undue advantages to club officials, family members, or friends of the player to secure a representation contract. It also prohibits inducing a player to terminate their employment contract without just cause. And contacting a player with an exclusive contract with another agent (except in the 2 months prior to expiration). Violations are sanctioned with fines and license suspension up to 2 years.

Building your network with clubs and sporting directors

Having players is not enough — clubs need to know and trust you. This takes time, but some tactics speed up the process:

Offer useful information. If you know a club is looking for a right-back and you have a player fitting that profile, contact the sporting director with a brief report and a link to the player’s profile (this is where a platform like Futbol CV makes a difference: you can send the complete player profile with video, data, and contact in a single link).

Attend matches and training sessions. There is no substitute for physical presence. Sporting directors and scouts value agents who watch matches and know players firsthand.

Respond quickly and keep your word. If you promise to send a player’s video, send it the same day. Reputation is built on details.

Your first representation contract

When it’s time to sign your first client, don’t rush. Review the minimum requirements for the representation contract, ensure you fulfill the obligation to inform about independent legal advice, and register the contract on the FIFA platform within 14 days.

Most importantly: set realistic expectations. Tell the player exactly what you will do, in what timeframes, and what results they can expect. The agent-player relationship is built on trust — and trust is built with transparency.

This guide is based on the RFAF (December 2024 edition, arts. 12, 13, 16), RFAF FAQs, the FIFA Football Agents Report 2025, and industry best practices according to The Football Week, The FBA, SoccerEDU, and sector professionals. This guidance is informative and does not replace advice from a specialized professional.

If you are building your career in professional football — as an agent or player — create your free profile on Futbol CV. It is the tool that connects talent with opportunities.

How to Get Your First Clients as a Football Agent