What is the difference in prize money between the Champions League and Europa League?

Winning a European trophy is great for the club’s history books… and there’s always the open-top bus parade and the bragging rights for the fans. But in today’s game, there’s another huge incentive: the prize money.

What you may be surprised to learn is that for UEFA’s top two competitions, the gap between the finances for the Champions League and the Europa League is rather large.

Just reaching the Champions League league phase (yes, I don’t like the sound of that either but that’s what it is since the end of the group format) is basically like hitting a jackpot compared to the Europa League, especially for more modest outfits. Clubs in Europe’s top competition start with a base payment of around $20 million before a ball is kicked. In the Europa League? That figure is closer to $4.7 million.

That means a Champions League team earns more than four times as much just for showing up.

How much can clubs earn in the Champions League?

The Champions League is clearly where the real money lives, and rightly so given this is the cream of The Beautiful Game. Every win in the league phase is worth around $2.3 million, while even a draw brings in about $760,000.

Then come the big knockout bonuses.

Teams that reach the round of 16 pocket roughly $11.9 million. Quarterfinalists earn around $13.5 million, semifinalists take about $16.2 million, and then there’s the final itself.

The runner-up receives close to $20 million, while the winner collects around $27 million on top of everything already earned earlier in the competition. Kerching!

By the time TV market pool money and coefficient payments are added, Europe’s elite clubs can walk away with well over $100 million from one Champions League campaign.

This season’s Champions League final will see Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain on May 30 at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary.

How much for winning the Europa League?

The Europa League is far healthier financially than it used to be, but it still sits in the Champions League’s shadow.

League-phase wins are worth about $490,000 and draws bring in roughly $165,000. Reaching the knockout rounds increases the payouts steadily, with teams earning around $1.9 million for the round of 16 and nearly $5 million for reaching the semifinals.

The Europa League winner earns an additional $6.5 million after the final, while the runner-up receives around $7.6 million overall for making it there. In simple terms: winning the Europa League often brings in less money than reaching the Champions League quarterfinals.

That is one reason clubs become desperate to qualify for the Champions League every season. Missing out can completely change transfer budgets, wage spending and even long-term planning.

This year’s Europa League final features Freiburg against Aston Villa on May 20 at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul, Turkey.

How much money in the UEFA Conference League?

By the way, you may also be interested to know that in UEFA’s third-tier competition, the Conference League, lesser gains are available.

Teams receive around $3.4 million just for reaching the league phase, with the eventual winner earning roughly $7.5 million in total prize bonuses from the later rounds.

For smaller clubs across Europe, though, that money can still be transformative. A deep Conference League run can fund stadium upgrades, transfers or academy investment for years.

This season’s Conference League final will be played between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano on May 27 in Leipzig, Germany.

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