Why Man Utd Are $60 Million Up Before Kicking a Ball in the Champions League
Even without kicking a ball in the Champions League this season, Manchester United will make an estimated $60.8 million (£45 million). Qualification alone, before even taking into account the incremental performance-related prize money, is hugely lucrative.
There was no European competition at all on the calendar last season.
Playing in the Champions League is at its core about the prestige of competing against the best clubs in Europe—and, by extension, the world. But the financial incentive cannot be ignored.
United haven’t been involved enough over the past 13 years. This season marks the club’s first participation since a group stage elimination in 2023–24, now three years ago.
Much has been made in the buildup to the Sabah match that begins the team’s league-phase schedule that this is Marcus Rashford’s first inclusion in a United squad for a Champions League fixture for more than 1,000 days, playing on his 18-month absence and eventual reintegration. But the reality is the club hasn’t been involved during that time.
In the 13 full seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, Manchester United have competed in the Champions League in only seven of them. Conversely, the club previously appeared in 17 consecutive seasons between 1996 and 2013. The money at stake has increased sharply over the past decade.
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Man City Reaping Financial Rewards of Champions League ATM
The Telegraph writes that Manchester City have taken $1.09 billion (£804 million) from Champions League prize and TV broadcast revenue in the last 10 seasons, from 2015–16 to 2025–26. Over the same period, United have earned $623 million (£461 million) from the Champions League and Europa League. It is a difference of $464 million (£343 million).
The earning potential in the Champions League is huge, but United either haven’t been there at all—the Europa League pays out much, much less—or have frequently fallen too early to truly capitalize on the opportunity.
Back on this stage for only the second time in six seasons, United are not among the favorites to win the Champions League. But even just getting to the start line, according to an estimate by The Athletic, is going to pay out just over $60 million. There is an initial starting fee of $21.7 million (£16 million), significantly topped up by the eventual share of media rights sales.
Once the action on the field starts, there is more and more money to be earned. In performance-related prize money, it’s $2.4 million (£1.8 million) for each league phase win, or $814,000 (£602,000) for each draw. There is a calculated bonus for each finishing position, and further bonuses for the clubs that place 1–8 ($2.3 million, £1.7 million) and 9–16 ($1.2 million, £860,000).
Playing in the bypassable knockout playoff equals another $1.2 million prize, which then rises steeply each round thereafter, so it pays well to keep progressing.
All told, winning the Champions League this season could be worth around $176 million (£130 million). So, how big of a slice are you going to take?
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2026–27 Champions League Prize Money
The following cash prizes are accumulated at each stage of the competition, with the aforementioned extra bonuses for league phase results and final league phase placing. A share of the $992 million (£733 million) pot allocated from media rights sales will be calculated further down the line.
Competition Stage | Performance Prize Money |
|---|---|
League phase participation | $21.7 million |
Knockout playoff | $1.2 million |
Round of 16 | $12.8 million |
Quarterfinals | $14.5 million |
Semifinals | $17.4 million |
Final | $21.5 million |
Winner bonus | $7.6 million |
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