February 6 – FC Bayern München were the biggest prize money winners of the league stage of this year Champions League, with an enormous €100 million payout. They were closely followed by Liverpool (€97m), Manchester City (€97m), and Arsenal (€96m).
Five of the top seven teams were from the Premier League. Barcelona, with €89 million were ranked sixth and the Spanish rivals Real Madrid 9th with €81 million. Last years winners PSG have so far racked up €82 million, ranked 8th.
The figures are part of an analysis of the financial impact of the 2025/26 league phase by Football Benchmark.
The numbers show that replacement of the traditional group stage with a single 36-team league table “has not altered the underlying financial hierarchy of European football. Elite clubs continue to dominate progression and earnings.”
What has changed is the competitive sporting jeopardy that the league phase has introduced with matches dictating qualification, failure and knockout round match-ups taking place all the way to the final round.
All 36 clubs starting the competition receive a guaranteed €18.62 million fee. Their results and the ‘value pillar’, which is linked to historical European performance and club coefficient, dictates how much they will end up with.
“For the biggest clubs, prize money complements diversified revenue models rather than reshaping them. Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City FC, and FC Bayern München all recorded ratios below 15%,” finds the report.
“By contrast, AS Monaco, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Olympiacos each generated prize money equivalent to more than half of their most recently available operating revenue. At this level, Champions League participation becomes a defining component of annual financial performance. At the extreme end of the distribution, European prize money functions as a multiplier. Qarabağ FK and FK Bodø/Glimt have generated prize money totals exceeding their latest available annual operating revenue.”
While the revamped Champions League has re-invigorated the competition and given clubs more money, it has not levelled the competitive balance between clubs.
“The concentration of Champions League income among a small number of clubs within certain domestic leagues continues to shape competitive balance. Repeated access to European revenues can widen financial gaps between participants and their domestic peers, reinforcing dominance at league level over time,” concludes the analysis.
“This dynamic is most visible in smaller markets but is increasingly relevant across larger leagues, where sustained European participation continues to underpin long-term competitive advantage.”
To see the full report, click here.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1770367618labto1770367618ofdlr1770367618owedi1770367618sni@n1770367618osloh1770367618cin.l1770367618uap1770367618
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