As the advisor to Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and several French internationals, Moussa Sissoko is one of the most influential agents in world soccer. Yet despite holding a FIFA agent license, he cannot officially work in France because he does not have an FFF license. Here is a profile of an exceptional agent, a list of his players, and an explanation of a distinction every FIFA exam candidate needs to understand.
Last updated: 10/16/2026
Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki, Dayot Upamecano. All of them have entrusted their interests to Moussa Sissoko, a player agent who holds a FIFA agent license. Yet in the French press, agent Moussa Sissoko is almost always described as an "advisor" and rarely as an agent.
The choice of that term stems from his situation in France, where he cannot officially work as an agent despite holding a FIFA license. He is now challenging this situation before the European Court of Human Rights.
His career highlights a distinction that many FIFA exam candidates discover late: the one separating the FIFA agent license from the sports agent license issued by the French Football Federation (FFF).
Let's take a closer look at who Moussa Sissoko is, which players he represents, and why his FIFA agent license does not allow him to work officially in France, before drawing lessons from his career for future agents.
Moussa Sissoko is a French player agent, 42 years old, from the Saint-Jean neighborhood of Beauvais, in the Oise department. A French national of Malian descent, he has lived abroad for nearly fifteen years, according to his own statements to Foot Mercato.
Before turning to player representation, he worked as a youth coach at several amateur clubs in the Beauvais area, including Saint-Jean-de-Beauvais. It was on those fields that he built the relationships with players and their families that later became the foundation of his business, a path shared by other youth coaches and managers who became agents, as well as by former players who transitioned into careers as FIFA agents.
His rise is inseparable from that of Ousmane Dembélé, whom he has represented since the very start of his professional career. In its 543rd Weekly Post, the CIES Football Observatory ranks MS Foot, Moussa Sissoko's agency, among the ten most powerful player agencies in the world, based on the combined transfer value of the players it represents.
The similarity between the two names regularly causes confusion, especially since Moussa Sissoko the soccer player is also well known to the French public. A French international midfielder born on August 16, 1989, in Le Blanc-Mesnil, he came through the youth academy at Toulouse and went on to play for Newcastle United F.C., Tottenham Hotspur F.C., and Watford F.C., among others, before joining Panathinaikos in 2026. A UEFA Euro 2016 finalist with the French national team, he has earned 71 caps and has no connection to the agent.
Yes, Moussa Sissoko does hold a FIFA agent license, but he does not hold the sports agent license issued by the FFF. He can therefore represent players internationally, but he cannot officially work as a soccer agent in France.
He also says he pays for his FIFA license every year, which, as he told Foot Mercato in March 2026, allows him "to work anywhere in the world except… in France." This annual renewal fee is capped at approximately €260 ($300).
He is also registered as an agent with The Football Association in England. His lack of an FFF license explains why the French media most often describe him as an "advisor."
The portfolio of agent Moussa Sissoko stands out for its concentration of elite attacking players, most of them French.
Yes, Moussa Sissoko is Ousmane Dembélé's agent and longstanding advisor. He has represented him since the very beginning, from Rennes to Dortmund, and then through his move to FC Barcelona in 2017 for €105 million, excluding bonuses.
In January 2022, with talks over a contract extension at Barça at a standstill, Moussa Sissoko publicly denounced on RMC the pressure being applied by the club. Dembélé eventually extended his contract before joining Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023.
In Paris, the winger won the 2025 Ballon d'Or, the crowning achievement of a partnership of nearly ten years with the same advisor.
On August 13, 2026, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia agreed to be represented by Moussa Sissoko, as reported first by Ben Jacobs and then by Fabrizio Romano. The Georgian international ended his relationship with Mamuka Jugeli, his longtime representative.
The signing comes at the peak of his career, as Kvaratskhelia had just been named Player of the Season of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League by UEFA, following PSG's second consecutive European title. He is also among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with the ceremony scheduled for October 26 in London.
At the time of the signing, Moussa Sissoko therefore represented four PSG forwards, along with Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, and Bradley Barcola, the latter having since moved to Liverpool F.C.
Désiré Doué represents the new generation of players represented by Moussa Sissoko. A product of the Stade Rennais academy, the winger joined PSG in the summer of 2024 for around €50 million, according to press reports, and quickly established himself among the most highly rated players in European soccer.
On October 5, 2026, against Belgium in the UEFA Nations League, he came on in the 72nd minute with France trailing. Five minutes later, he equalized with a cross-shot finish, scoring his fourth goal in 19 caps. He then provided two assists and helped France to a 4–1 win at the Stade de France.
Rayan Cherki entrusted his interests to Moussa Sissoko in 2024, while he was still playing for Olympique Lyonnais. A year later, the playmaker joined Manchester City F.C. for around €36 million, excluding bonuses, according to press reports.
He also stood out in the France–Belgium match. Coming on in the 60th minute, he put France ahead in the 81st minute from a Michael Olise pass, four minutes after Désiré Doué's equalizer.
The Bayern Munich defender, who arrived from RB Leipzig in 2021, entrusted Moussa Sissoko with managing his future as his contract neared its end. The discussions were long and tense, with Uli Hoeness publicly criticizing the agent in Kicker in January 2026. Moussa Sissoko nevertheless saw the negotiations through to the end. Upamecano extended his contract with Bayern until 2030, with, according to AFP, a substantial signing bonus and a release clause that becomes active in 2027.
| Player | Position | Club | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ousmane Dembélé | Winger | Paris Saint-Germain | 2025 Ballon d'Or |
| Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Winger | Paris Saint-Germain | Represented since August 2026 |
| Désiré Doué | Winger | Paris Saint-Germain | Joined from Rennes in 2024 |
| Rayan Cherki | Playmaker | Manchester City F.C. | Joined from Lyon in 2025 |
| Dayot Upamecano | Center-back | Bayern Munich | Contract extended until 2030 |
| Bradley Barcola | Winger | Liverpool F.C. | Moved from PSG in August 2026 |
| Randal Kolo Muani | Striker | Juventus | Moved from Eintracht Frankfurt to PSG in 2023 |
| Eli Junior Kroupi | Striker | AFC Bournemouth | Represented by Moussa Sissoko since 2026 |
Moussa Sissoko cannot work officially in France because he does not hold the FFF sports agent license, the only license that authorizes domestic transactions. According to him, his French nationality and his residence abroad prevent him from getting around this obstacle through the routes available to foreign agents.
Since the 2023 reform, the FIFA Football Agent Regulations (FFAR) have governed transactions with an international dimension. Purely domestic transactions remain subject to each country's own rules. In France, the French Sports Code (Code du sport) reserves sports agent activity for holders of a license issued by the delegated federation, which for soccer is the FFF.
| Criterion | FIFA Agent License | FFF Sports Agent License |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing authority | FIFA | French Football Federation |
| Governing texts | FFAR | French Sports Code and FFF regulations |
| Transactions covered | International transfers | Transactions within France |
| How to obtain it | 20-question online exam in 60 minutes, 75% passing score | Exam organized by the FFF |
| Maintaining it | Annual fee and continuing professional development | According to the federation's current regulations |
An agent who wants to work on a transfer between two French clubs must therefore, in principle, hold the FFF sports agent license.
The law provides pathways for foreign agents who are not licensed in France. An agent who is a national of a non-EU country can, for example, enter into a presentation agreement with an FFF-licensed agent and work alongside them.
Moussa Sissoko explains that this route is closed to him. Unlike a foreign agent, he cannot enter into such an agreement with an FFF-licensed agent because of his French passport. In July 2023, the Paris Administrative Court upheld the FFF's refusal to register agreements of this kind that he had signed in 2021.
According to Moussa Sissoko, his registration for the FFF agent exam was also reportedly refused on the grounds that he did not meet the French residency requirement, a situation he himself considers particularly hard to understand.
In late March 2026, L'Équipe revealed that Moussa Sissoko had filed a case with the European Court of Human Rights. His lawyer, Matthieu Barandas, denounces an anachronistic system and a form of reverse discrimination against a French citizen.
The FFF, for its part, applies the framework set out in the French Sports Code, and its interpretation has been upheld by the administrative courts. The dispute has not yet been resolved.
The FIFA license is not equivalent to a national license. Each federation governs domestic transactions and sets its own access requirements, which are subject to change.
His situation remains exceptional, but it reminds every FIFA agent exam candidate to check what the FIFA license covers, and what it does not.
A few key points stand out for a future agent based in France.
These points add to the requirements for becoming an agent set by FIFA, without calling into question the value of the international license.
First, this career shows that a network built on the ground remains a decisive asset, both for building a client base and for a player agent's earnings. The contrast is striking in a market where only 1,559 agents received commissions from clubs in 2025, out of more than 10,000 license holders. Starting out at an amateur club in Beauvais, Moussa Sissoko now advises a Ballon d'Or winner. His clients' long-term loyalty, starting with Ousmane Dembélé, speaks volumes about the relationship-driven nature of the sports agent business.
His case also shows that the legal framework determines how the profession can be practiced. A strong understanding of FIFA regulations is essential, but understanding how they interact with national rules is just as important.
The outcome of the proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights could eventually reshape this interplay in France. In the meantime, the FIFA agent license remains the essential starting point for any future agent, and our tips for passing the FIFA agent exam will help you prepare for it.
