Champions League Prize Money – How Much Does The Winner Earn?
How much do clubs playing in the Champions League earn in prize money? We take a look at the numbers to find out
The Champions League is known for being European football’s most prestigious club competition.
But as well as having a rich history, the Champions League is also one of the most lucrative competitions on the planet in terms of prize money.
In this article, we’re going to take a detailed look at how the prize money for the Champions League is distributed and examine the latest figures provided by Uefa.
The amount clubs earn from playing in the Champions League varies according to a number of factors, such as how far they make it into the competition and the income totals from sponsorships and television rights.
However, there are also some fixed amounts which are paid out to clubs at various stages of the competition.
So, let’s find out a bit more about how the Champions League prize money is distributed.
Real Madrid have won the most Champions League titles in history (Photo: Oleh Dubyna / depositphotos.com)
Prize Money Breakdown For Champions League 2022-23
For the purposes of this article, we’ve used the numbers which were provided by Uefa before the start of the 2022-23 season. However, bear in mind that many of these figures are estimates and are therefore subject to change.
As mentioned above, the amount of money a club earns from playing in the Champions League depends on a range of factors, such as how far they make it into the competition and their results.
Uefa has revealed that the gross revenue from the 2022-23 Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League and the 2022 Uefa Super Cup is estimated to be €3.5bn (£3.019bn) in total for all competitions.
European football’s governing body has also disclosed that around €2.032bn (£1.78bn) will be actually available to be distributed to participating clubs in both the Champions League and Uefa Super Cup.
For teams participating in the group stage of the Champions League, a total of €2.002bn (£1.75bn) will be distributed to clubs.
This figure will be split up and distributed in four different ways:
• 25% will be allocated to starting fees (€500.5m / £437.9m)
• 30% will be allocated to performance-related fixed amounts (€600.6m / £525.6m)
• 30% will be allocated to coefficient-based amounts (€600.6m / £525.6m)
• 5% will be allocated to variable amounts (market pool) (€300.3m / £262.8m)
All 32 teams who have qualified for the 2022-23 Champions League group stage receive a starting fee of €15.64m (£13.69m). Teams are also paid fixed amounts based on their results in the group stage: €2.8m (£2.45m) for a win and €930,000 (£813,800) for a draw.
From the round of 16 onwards, clubs are paid fixed amounts based on how far they progress in the competition.
For example, teams who qualify for the round of 16 will be paid €9.6m (£8.4m) and reaching the quarter-finals will earn clubs €10.6m (£9.3m), being a semi-finalist nets clubs an extra €12.5m (£10.9m) and reaching the final is rewarded with an extra €15.5m (£13.6m) payment.
(Photo: Iaroslav Danylchenko / depositphotos.com)
To summarise, here is the complete Champions League prize money breakdown based on club performance in the competition:
• Qualified for group stage: €15.64m (£13.69m)
• Match won in group stage: €2.8m (£2.45m)
• Match drawn in group stage: €930,000 (£813,800)
• Round of 16: €9.6m (£8.4m)
• Quarter-final: €10.6m (£9.3m)
• Semi-final: €12.5m (£10.9m)
• Runner-up: €15.5m (£13.6m)
• Champion: €20m (£17.5m)
The figures shown above are before coefficient shares and market pool funds come into play, so clubs stand to earn more in total than these numbers.
What’s The Maximum Amount Of Prize Money On Offer For Clubs In The Champions League?
As mentioned above, the total amount of prize money available to clubs in the Champions League in the 2022-23 season is €2.002bn (£1.75bn).
The total maximum amount that a single club can earn from winning the competition is variable due to the how the club performs, as well as the variability of coefficient shares and market pool funds.
Based on the figures shown above, the maximum amount a club can earn in fixed prize money in the 2022-23 season is €68.34m (£59.8m).
But if a club were to win all six of their group stage matches and go on to lift the trophy, they would earn €85.14m (£74.5m) in total prize money, before coefficient shares and market pool funds are taken into account.
(Photo: Roger De Marfa Taillefer / depositphotos.com)
Which Clubs Have Won The Champions League?
Previously widely known as the European Cup, the Champions League was rebranded and given its current name in 1992. The competition has been dominated by a handful of clubs since then.
Here is a list of all the winners of the Champions League in its current incarnation (since 1992):
1992-93 – Marseille
1993–94 – AC Milan
1994–95 – Ajax
1995–96 – Juventus
1996–97 – Borussia Dortmund
1997–98 – Real Madrid
1998–99 – Manchester United
1999–00 – Real Madrid
2000–01 – Bayern Munich
2001–02 – Real Madrid
2002–03 – AC Milan
2003–04 – FC Porto
2004–05 – Liverpool FC
2005–06 – FC Barcelona
2006–07 – AC Milan
2007–08 – Manchester United
2008–09 – FC Barcelona
2009–10 – Inter Milan
2010–11 – FC Barcelona
2011–12 – Chelsea FC
2012–13 – Bayern Munich
2013–14 – Real Madrid
2014–15 – FC Barcelona
2015–16 – Real Madrid
2016–17 – Real Madrid
2017–18 – Real Madrid
2018–19 – Liverpool FC
2019–20 – Bayern Munich
2020–21 – Chelsea FC
2021–22 – Real Madrid
Real Madrid have dominated the competition in recent years, having lifted the trophy eight times since its rebranding back in 1992.
Champions League Prize Money – In Conclusion
The Champions League is one of the most lucrative competitions in the world of sport. The gross revenue from the competition in the 2022-23 campaign is estimated to be in the region of a staggering €3.5bn (£3.019bn).
A large portion of this figure will be distributed to the clubs taking part, with the eventual winners expected to take home in the region of €68.34m (£59.8m) in prize money before group-stage performances, coefficient shares and market pool funds are taken into account.
