UEFA Champions League prize money, Payments: How the wallet for 2024-2025 is distributed for success in the knockout phase

With only one match day to go in the competition phase of the Champions League, there is still a lot to play on February 22. Only two places in the top eight of the phase were achieved by Liverpool and Barcelona, ​​with which they can directly get a ticket for the eighth finals. Other teams want to join them. There is also shuffling to even get the knock-out phase, where there are six more places for the taking, but there are major financial implications beyond that.

Previously, the two best teams in each group went directly to the round of 16 and then the third-placed team went to the play-off phase of the Europa League with a chance to get the round of 16 in that competition. Both things have now disappeared, whereby only the top eight go directly to the round of 16 and nine to 24 are involved in a play-off round to determine the other eight places in the round of 16.

Although these teams give more matches to play, which means that there are more admission tickets, it also changes the chance that teams will reach the eighth finals and the financial windfall that is accompanied by UCL football.

This is what they earn, depending on how far they go:

Prize money for promotion in the Champions League

According to UEFA:

*1 million euros = 1.04 million US dollars (from January 23, 2025)

This is on top of the bonuses for even qualification for the competition phase and result -based bonuses from that initial phase, which amount to € 2.1 million per victory and € 700,000 per draw. According to UEFA, clubs will also earn money from the value pillar, which means the contributions of TV channels to the total media income, divided into shares and divided on the basis of coefficients.

Being able to secure these types of funds and an opportunity to continue to make progress in the competition for smaller teams is one of the goals of the competition phase and can be achieved depending on how the top eight comes out. There is also a fight at the bottom to even get the knockout phase, in which European giants such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain fight for their lives.

There is a lot to play for what will certainly be an exciting last day of the competition phase. Make progress, and that money continues to increase, just like the opportunities to take continental glory home.