The UEFA Champions League stands as the pinnacle of European soccer.
Win it, and teams don’t just get their hands on a big, shiny trophy and a place in the history books — they also pocket a hefty sum of money for their efforts.
But it’s not just the champions who cash in. Prize money is available at every stage of the competition, meaning that for smaller clubs without the resources of Europe’s elite, simply qualifying can provide a relatively massive financial boost.
So, exactly how much money is up for grabs in the Champions League? Let’s break it down.
For the 2024-25 Champions League, the total prize money pool is $3.4 billion (£2.7 billion).
This pool is divided into three categories: equal shares, performance-based rewards, and the value pillar.
Equal shares ensure that every team that qualifies for the tournament receives a portion of the prize pool, while performance-based rewards, as the name suggests, offer additional payouts depending on how far a team advances in the competition.
The value pillar, meanwhile, allocates funds based on factors such as market size and broadcasting rights, allowing teams with larger fan bases or from more lucrative markets to claim a bigger slice of the pie.
This season, a total of 36 teams entered the competition, which began with a revamped league phase, replacing the traditional group stage format that had been in place since 2003.
Twenty-nine of those teams qualified for the league phase automatically through their domestic achievements, while the remaining seven secured their spots through a qualifying phase and play-off round, which featured a total of 52 teams.
In terms of prize money, under the equal shares portion of the pool, each team that participated in the qualifying rounds but failed to advance received $4.5 million (£3.6 million). Meanwhile, the 36 teams that reached the league phase pocketed a substantial $19.3 million (£15.5 million).
From the league phase onwards, prize money becomes performance-based. Teams earn money for victories in the league phase and for advancing through the subsequent stages.
Here’s a breakdown of how these rewards are distributed.
|
Stage |
Prize Money |
|---|---|
|
League Phase Draws |
$780,000 (£630,000) |
|
League Phase Wins |
$2.2 million (£1.8 million) |
|
Reaching Knockout Round Playoffs |
$1 million (£800,000) |
|
Reaching Round of 16 |
$11.4 million (£9.2 million) |
|
Quarterfinalists |
$13 million (£10.5 million) |
|
Semifinalists |
$15.6 million (£12.6 million) |
|
Runner-up |
$19.2 million (£15.4 million) |
|
Winner |
$25.9 million (£20.8 million) |
The Value Pillar of the 2024-25 Champions League prize money accounts for 35% of the total pool, totaling $927 million (£716 million).
It consists of two parts: European shares and non-European shares. Each club receives a portion from these categories.
For European shares, clubs are ranked based on their country’s broadcast market value and their performance in UEFA competitions over the past five years. Meanwhile, non-European shares are distributed according to the ten-year UEFA coefficient ranking of the 36 participating clubs.
Theoretically, the maximum amount the winner of the 2024-25 Champions League could have taken home, excluding their share of the Value Pillar, would exceed $102.4 million (£79.1 million).
This is due to the cumulative nature of performance-based prize money in the competition.
To reach this prize total, the winning club would have needed to win all eight of their league phase games before going on to lift the trophy.
However, with the league phase now over and none of the 36 clubs winning all eight of their games, the maximum prize is no longer achievable. Instead, the eventual winner could take home between $94.4 million (£72.9 million) and $98.8 million (£76.3 million).
The prize money from the Champions League is highly valuable for clubs of all sizes.
For smaller clubs that may not progress as far, the earnings can still make up a significant portion of their annual budget. This money can be used to improve facilities, enhance academies and training grounds, and sign new players.
For larger clubs, the financial impact is even greater. Winning the competition provides a substantial cash boost, which can be reinvested in acquiring top-tier talent to strengthen their squad and improve their chances of future success.
UEFA’s revamped Champions League has been designed to reduce the disparity in earnings between clubs, ensuring a more even distribution of prize money across all competing teams. This new structure helps smaller clubs benefit more from their participation, while still rewarding the top performers.
In the 2022-23 season, Manchester City earned around $142.5 million (£110 million) for winning the Champions League, a sum that, combined with its Premier League victory, gave the club a significant financial boost.
Since then, the club has spent over $600 million on new players in an effort to maintain that success, though it has yet to prove profitable.
On the other hand, in the 2024-25 season, French club Stade Brestois 29 made its Champions League debut, winning four out of eight league phase games to reach the round of 16, where it was eventually eliminated by its domestic rival, Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite its early exit, Brest earned a solid $37.3 million (£28.8 million)––nearly half the value of the entire club.
Instead of splurging on new signings, Brest plans to use the funds as a financial cushion to offset declining Ligue 1 broadcast revenues and to invest in a new stadium.
In January, the club revealed plans for a new 15,000-seat stadium, Arkéa Park, which is set to replace the outdated Stade Francis-Le Blé, which is over 100 years old and couldn’t be used for its Champions League debut due to not meeting UEFA’s criteria.
