Behind every successful footballer is an equally shrewd football agent who works even harder behind the scenes to ensure that the career of his client is flourishing to the maximum.
They do more than just negotiate contracts; they are talent scouts, career strategists, and even financial advisors who serve in shaping the contemporary footballing outlook.
From sealing multi-million-pound transfers to navigating the complexity of endorsements and sponsorships, the football agent often becomes the unseen architect in the beautiful game.
In this article, I will list the 10 influential and powerful football agents in the world as of 2024.
These agents have earned a name in the field of handling great careers in the football industry and become key people in the sport with so much power and influence.
1. Jorge Mendes (GESTIFUTE)
Heading the list is, of course, Jorge Mendes—the insurmountable champ when it comes to the football agents’ world. He is Portuguese by nationality and owner/founder of Gestifute, one of the most powerful football agencies.
Mendes is a name that stands out. He is directly involved with clients such as Cristiano Ronaldo, José Mourinho, and Bernardo Silva.
Most of the world’s record transfers in football history have been looked after by him, especially in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, from Juventus to Manchester United.
In tandem with business acumen, it is the ability to manage the careers of top players and coaches alike that has made Mendes the most powerful agent in football worldwide.
2. Jonathan Barnett (STELLAR GROUP)
Barnett is the co-founder of Stellar Group and is currently one of the most successful and powerful football agents worldwide.
The peculiarity of his career lies in the fact that he has been able to seal groundbreaking deals and is never frightened to speak his mind; he is perhaps best known for having steered Gareth Bale’s then-world-record transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013.
That deal put new standards in football market negotiations.
Under Barnett’s leadership, Stellar Group represents some of the biggest names in football, such as Jack Grealish, Eduardo Camavinga, and Jordan Pickford.
Barnett has continued to churn out some of the best deals in the business, handling his clients’ career paths with finesse, thus earning a place in the esteemed category of global football agents.
3. Rafaela Pimenta
Rafaela Pimenta is a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry, making her mark as one of the most powerful and influential football agents in the world.
She is a Brazilian national who worked with legendary Mino Raiola for 18 years, learning all the bureaucracy involved in football administration and bargaining.
With the death of the big man Mino Raiola in 2022, Pimenta took over and is in charge of a vast clientele now, making her a bigwig in football.
While somewhat minor compared to her peers, Pimenta’s influence could not be understated.
The biggest voices in the game—Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, and Erling Haaland—fall under her representation.
Her ability to sort through what Raiola had built and simultaneously create her own identity meant she was one of the most well-liked agents in the game.
4. Unique Sports Group
Unique Sports Group grew out of the amalgamation of UK-based Unique Sports Management with Germany-based International Sports Management.
Run by all three agents themselves—Marlon Fleischman, Will Salthouse, and Barry Whelan—Unique Sports Group represents England and beyond the very biggest names in the world of football.
A powerhouse agency was created in 2021 from that very merger: it generated a combined client market value of over £670 million and fielded a roster of over 300 more players, including clients like Reece James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Hakan Calhanoglu.
Its distinguished management with unparalleled know-how and skill of such a large and wide portfolio of players has topped Unique Sports Group among the best football agencies around the globe.
5. Volker Struth (SPORTSTOTAL)
One of the best-known German football agents, Volker Struth is associated with one of the biggest football agencies in Germany, Sportstotal.
Struth’s agency has a large say in the Bundesliga, having several superstar players in its portfolio. A revered master broker with actual know-how in the German football market, he is considered one of the most powerful agents in the world.
Some of the biggest faces in German football are on Struth’s client list, starting from Dayot Upamecano, Niklas Süle, and Timo Werner.
His ability to barter top-dollar deals and manage the careers of his clients with surgical precision has made him quite a respected figure in the football world.
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6. Pere Guardiola
Pere Guardiola, the brother of the renowned and celebrated Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, managed to make a name for himself in the world of football.
Pere is one of the most powerful agents in the game today by being the co-owner of Media Base Sports Agency. The fact that his agency has bought part ownership with Manchester City in the Spanish club FC Girona testifies to his business acumen and deep forays into football management.
Pere Guardiola is perhaps best known for acting on behalf of and advising Luis Suarez on the Uruguayan striker’s controversial transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona.
Aside from Suarez, Guardiola also counts among his clients Nico González and William Carvalho, to name just a few. His ability to grasp and navigate the intricacies of the football market is terrific, and he has top-class contacts.
7. Jose Otin (Bahia International)
Jose Otin is the president and founder of Bahia International, one of the main personas of Spanish football.
Seated in Spain, his agency holds the reins to some of the potential-laden players in the country. Very closely tied to La Liga, with an eye for talent, it’s been orchestrated to make Bahía International the leading football agency in the business.
His influence in the world of football is not only restricted to Spain; he is the agent responsible for bringing a number of the Spanish elite talents to the Premier League.
High-profile players of his include the recently signed Pedro, Javi Martinez, and Jesus Navas.
His scope of work, from acquiring the peak-scale transfers for his clients to precisely handling the careers of a considerably large number of clients, has made him one of the top agents worldwide.
8. Giuliano Bertolucci
Giuliano Bertolucci spells Brazilian football talent.
He is one of the main men behind the Euro Export Assessoria e Propaganda Ltd agency, which has spearheaded some of the biggest transfers of Brazilian players in European football.
His partnership with another major player in the beautiful game, Kia Joorabchian, has availed him the opportunity to propel the best Brazilian talent into global football.
Bertolucci was influential in the world of football as he negotiated outstanding deals for his players such as David Luiz, Oscar, Willian, and Ramires—all making a significant contribution to Chelsea Football Club.
He’s singled out for representing most of the current leading Brazilian talents, from Marquinhos, Bruno Guimarães, to Matheus Cunha, to be among the elite agents across the world
9. Wasserman
Wasserman Media Group is the self-declared global powerhouse in sports marketing and talent management.
The Los Angeles-based company privately owned by Casey Wasserman has its representation of football talents distributed throughout the world.
The company strengthened its foothold in football further in the year 2006, by acquiring the UK-based SFX. This acquisition put Wasserman on the map, representing many up-and-coming English players, further solidifying its position with the elite players in the game.
The agency is proud to represent some of the most exciting young and established talent in football, including the likes of Federico Valverde, Aymeric Laporte, Giovanni Reyna, and John Stones.
It has also managed the careers of top-quality coaches like Ronald Koeman, Steven Gerrard, and Eddie Howe. The agency is strong in the football world due to its talent development and deal-securing capabilities.
10. Pinhas Zahavi
Last on the list is Pinhas Zahavi, a true veteran in the football agents’ world.
Zahavi has managed to slightly entrench himself in the league of elites thanks to decades of high-profile deals and a huge network within the football industry.
Often referred to as football’s “Mr. Fixit,” Zahavi oversaw the 2003 deal that saw Chelsea FC sold to Roman Abramovich—a deal that, arguably, reshaped the destiny of the club. He was also part of the deal that saw Portsmouth sold to Alexandre Gaydamak in 2006.
But Zahavi’s influence runs further, as he not only owns a club but also facilitated the then-world record move of Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United to Manchester United in 2002 for £30 million.
His influence is even present in Neymar’s record transfer move to Paris Saint-Germain.
This is quite a client list representing a number of players: Christopher Nkunku, Robert Lewandowski, Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg, and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
