The 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded Sunday, bringing to an end a breathless six weeks of nonstop international soccer. Now, attention turns back to domestic matters, where clubs are in the thick of a transfer window, attempting to get their squad in order ahead of the 2026-27 season which starts again in August.
Usually, the transfer market slows to a near-halt during a World Cup as players focus on the task at hand, but this year was different. One Premier League club signed six players, the record fee paid for a British player's transfer was smashed twice, and many of Europe's top sides added at least one new arrival.
Do you feel like you've missed a few storylines recently? Fear not, we'll get you up to speed quickly. Here are 10 things you might have missed in the transfer market while the World Cup was on.
Spanish giants made an early splash
The first major deal of this transfer window was announced before summer officially started, with Newcastle United and England forward Anthony Gordon joining Barcelona for €70 million in late May. It was a signal of the Catalan giants' newfound spending powers after improving their position with regard to LaLiga's strict spending rules.
Not to be outdone, their archrivals Real Madrid also secured a marquee early deal, signing left back Marc Cucurella from Chelsea for €55 million before he went on to win the 2026 World Cup with Spain as Madrid's only representative. That pursuit was no doubt driven by José Mourinho, who has returned to manage Los Blancos in what is sure to be another blockbuster tenure.
Florentino Pérez's rival candidate, Enrique Riquelme, claimed he had a deal agreed to bring Manchester City's star striker Erling Haaland to the club if elected, which prompted threats of legal action from City.