Participating in the UEFA Champions League can be highly lucrative for football clubs. The competition is considered the pinnacle by Europe's elite teams, as strong performances can lead to significant financial rewards, especially for clubs reaching the later stages of the tournament.
For the expanded 2024/25 season, UEFA has announced that the total prize pool for the Champions League will increase to €2.437 billion ($2.71 billion/£2.06 billion), up from €2.03 billion ($2.19 billion/£1.74 billion) in the 2023/24 season. This increase is due to the addition of 36 teams in the new league phase, compared to 32 in the previous group stage format.
Champions League Prize Money Breakdown for 2024/25
Performance-Based Prize Money (37.5% of total)
- Winner: €25 million ($27.8 million)
- Runner-up: €18.5 million ($20.5 million)
- Semifinalists: €15 million ($16.6 million)
- Quarterfinalists: €12.5 million ($13.9 million)
- Round of 16: €11 million ($12.2 million)
- Knockout Round Playoff: €1 million ($1.1 million)
- League-Phase Wins: €2.1 million ($2.3 million)
- League-Phase Draws: €700,000 ($777,883)
Additionally, teams will receive a league ranking bonus based on their final position in the league phase. This bonus is divided into 666 shares, starting at €275,000 per share for the 36th-place team. The value of these shares increases based on the team's final ranking.
Value Pillar (35% of total) This segment, worth €853 million, combines payments related to individual club coefficients and broadcast market payouts. It is split into two parts: the European and non-European segments.
- European Part: Distributed based on domestic broadcasters' contributions to overall media revenue. Clubs are ranked by their UEFA coefficient over the past five seasons and divided into 666 shares according to their ranking.
- Non-European Part: Allocated based on each club’s 10-year UEFA coefficient, without bonus points from titles in the UEFA 2021-24 cycle.
Equal Shares — Starting Fee (27.5% of total) The final portion, amounting to €670 million, is divided equally among the 36 clubs qualifying for the league phase. Each club will receive an allocation of €18.62 million, comprising an initial payment of €17.87 million and a balance of €750,000.
