Champions League soccer clubs to share $2.65 billion prize fund in 36-team format next season
Champions League soccer clubs to share $2.65 billion prize fund in 36-team format next season
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne celebrates scoring his side’s second goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Manchester City, at St. James’ Park, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, centre, controls the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne celebrates scoring his side’s second goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Manchester City, at St. James’ Park, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne celebrates scoring his side’s second goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Manchester City, at St. James’ Park, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, centre, controls the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, centre, controls the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
PARIS (AP) — UEFA pledged Wednesday to pay at least 2.46 billion euros ($2.65 billion) in prize money to clubs playing in the Champions League next season when it expands to 36 teams.
The total prize fund has been about 2 billion euros ($2.15 billion) in each season since 2021. It will be shared among four extra clubs in the revamped format that also gives teams eight guaranteed games instead of six.
Currently, the Champions League winner can expect to earn about 130 million euros ($140 million) from UEFA.
UEFA said it will allocate at least 4.4 billion euros ($4.74 billion) in projected revenue for all its men’s club competitions next season.
It said 440 million euros ($474 million) — 10% of the total — will be shared among clubs eliminated in the qualifying rounds of European competitions or those in top-tier leagues who did not even qualify for UEFA games.
The projected revenue is less than previous UEFA estimates of at least 4.6 billion euros ($4.95 billion) revenue.
Any surplus revenue should be shared among the clubs playing in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. Each will have 36 teams playing in a single standings table rather than traditional four-team groups.
The Europa League prize fund is at least 565 million euros ($608 million) and the third-tier Conference League will have 285 million euros ($307 million) in prize money.
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