On Thursday, the league phase draw for the UEFA Champions League — the most prestigious club competition in Europe — will take place, setting the stage for opening matchups featuring giants like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich, all of whom will be competing for a massive financial reward.
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.
PSG are the reigning Champions League winners.
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.
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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.
