UEFA Champions League prize money: How much will the 2025–26 European champions earn?

On Thursday, the league phase draw for the UEFA Champions League took place, setting up the initial matchups for giants like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich — all of whom will be competing for a massive prize.

In addition to the sporting prestige, a massive amount of money is at stake. Across the 36 teams participating in the Champions League, UEFA will distribute a total of €2.47 billion (more than $2.88 billion), allocated based on each club’s performance throughout the different stages of the tournament.

Just for participating, each team will receive €18.6 million. On top of that, there are performance-based bonuses during the league phase: each win is worth an additional €2.1 million, while each draw earns €0.7 million.

At the conclusion of the eight games each team will play in the league phase, a final standings table will determine additional payouts. Depending on where a club finishes, it will receive an extra sum ranging from €0.7 million to €10 million.

Champions League knockout stage prize money

Out of the 36 teams in the Champions League league phase, the top 8 in the final standings will advance directly to the round of 16. The bottom 8 will be eliminated, while the 16 teams in the middle positions will face off in head-to-head matchups to determine the remaining 8 spots in the knockout round.

Reaching the round of 16 comes with a reward of €11 million, which increases progressively with each stage. Advancing to the quarterfinals is worth €12.5 million, the semifinals €15 million, and the final €18.5 million. The team that wins the title will earn an additional €25 million bonus.

How much will the Champions League winner earn in total?

Adding up all performance-related bonuses and rewards for advancing through each round results in a massive sum. The club that wins the 2025–26 Champions League could earn up to €127 million (approximately $148 million).

However, that amount can increase significantly if the champion is one of Europe’s elite clubs. That’s because, starting last year with the introduction of the tournament’s new format, a component called the “value pillar” was added — a coefficient that measures a club’s influence in the television market and grants extra funds accordingly.

As a result, a perfect run in the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League — featuring strong results in the league phase and a deep push through the knockout rounds — could earn one of Europe’s biggest clubs close to €200 million.