Need to know
- Total pot: The massive financial stakes for the showdown in Budapest are heavily driven by UEFA’s overhauled revenue distribution model. The total prize pot is roughly £3.8billion.
- Foundation fee: Just by qualifying for the revamped league phase of the competition, both heavyweights guaranteed themselves a healthy financial foundation. Every single one of the 36 participating clubs pocketed a fixed starting fee of £16.1m.
- Group bonuses: Performance-related bonuses throughout the league stage of the tournament allowed Arsenal to significantly outpace their European rivals. Because UEFA awards £1.8m per victory and just over £600,000 per draw, the Gunners’ clinical form saw them secure a tournament-high £35m in performance fees alone after topping the league phase table.
- Knockout stages: Navigating the knockout rounds offered a highly lucrative ladder of cash windfalls for both finalists. The clubs earned an additional £9.5m for reaching the round of 16, £10.8m for the quarter-finals, and £13m for reaching the semi-finals.
- Final bonus: By reaching Budapest, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have added £16m to their respective pots. Therefore, prior to the final, both clubs have already secured tens of millions of pounds.
- Winners’ bonus: The team that lifts the iconic trophy will secure an extra of £21.7m. The heartbroken runner-up will have to settle for their pre-existing group and knockout earnings, plus the £16m for reaching the final.
- Last year: After thrashing Inter 5-0 in Munich, PSG finished with a total prize money of £72m. But they could have earned more had they won all their league-phase matches.
- Future earnings: Glory in the final brings a lucrative secondary reward through automatic qualification to the 2026 UEFA Super Cup match. The winning club is guaranteed a £3.5m payout for participating in that showpiece event, with the opportunity to earn an extra £870,000m if they win it.
- Extras: Beyond the fixed performance structure, a massive 35% of the total financial pot is dictated by UEFA’s intricate “value pillar” system. This substantial fund distributes an estimated £740.6m based on a combination of lucrative television broadcast pools and the historical 10-year European club coefficient rankings.
- READ MORE: Five pundits predict Champions League final as Arsenal told how to beat PSG
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