As champions, LASK entered the playoff, the final qualification round for the Champions League group stage. There, the Upper Austrians faced Celtic Glasgow from Scotland. After a sensational comeback - having lost the first leg 0:3 - the Linz team turned the game around at home, forced extra time, and ultimately triumphed thanks to Samuel Adeniran's golden goal.
Just for participating in the playoff, the losers received 4.29 million euros. Thanks to successful qualification for the league phase, a remarkable 18.62 million euros flowed into LASK's account.
Prize Money, Prize Money, Prize Money ...
If a team makes it to the 36-team league phase, it can also look forward to substantial prize money for earning points there. For instance, a draw already brings 700,000 euros, and an additional 2.1 million euros are paid out for each win.
But that's not all: once the league phase concludes after eight matchdays, a considerable sum of money is again awarded depending on the final ranking. The team in 36th place receives a share of 275,000 euros. Further shares are added depending on the rank, with the first-placed team thus receiving 36 shares. The value of these shares increases proportionally.
Teams finishing in places 1-8 in the league phase receive an additional bonus of 2 million euros, while those in places 9-16 receive an extra 1 million euros.
Overview: Prize Money for Men's Champions League League Phase
Prize | Amount per club (Mio. Euros) |
|---|---|
Playoff Participation | 4.29 |
League Phase Participation | 18.62 |
Win | 2.1 |
Draw | 0.7 |
Placement | at least 0.275 |
Placement Rank 9-16 | 1 |
Placement Ranks 1-8 | 2 |
Several Hundred Millions in the Knockout Phase
The prize money distributed up to the end of the league phase has thus been listed. To reach the 914 million euros that fall under the "performance-related payments" category, we now examine the knockout phase.
Initially, 1 million euros is awarded to every club that at least participates in the playoffs for the knockout phase. Further sums in the double-digit millions per club are distributed for qualifying for subsequent rounds, starting with the Round of 16. An overview follows:
Prize Money Paid for the Men's Knockout Phase:
Prize | Amount per club (Mio. Euros) |
|---|---|
Qualification Playoffs | 1 |
Qualification Round of 16 | 11 |
Qualification Quarter-finals | 12.5 |
Qualification Semi-finals | 15 |
Qualification Final | 18.5 |
Finally, the winner of the UEFA Champions League receives an additional 6.5 million euros. As a participant in the UEFA Super Cup (Champions League winner vs. Europa League winner), they receive another 4 million euros. If the Champions League winner also triumphs in that match, there's an extra million on top.
In addition to the initial payment (670 million euros) and performance-related payments (914 million euros), there is also the value premium (853 million euros). The value premium is a combination of the club coefficient and the former market pool, and consists of a European and a non-European part.
How much a club receives from this depends, among other things, on its placement in the respective rankings, and thus on its coefficient and the media market.
A maximum amount of over 40 million euros and a minimum amount of approximately one million euros can be paid out here. A total of 2.467 billion euros will be distributed in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup in 2026/27. An incredible amount.
A Different Dimension for Women
The direct counterpart in women's football is the UEFA Women's Champions League. FK Austria Wien's women's team qualified for the first time, via the champions path, for the most prestigious club competition in women's football.
7.7 million euros are distributed within the "non-centrally marketed phase," which consists of the qualification rounds. There are three rounds; the first two are played as a mini-tournament, and Q3 as a playoff.
This year, two Austrian teams, FK Austria Wien Women and SKN St. Pölten Women, competed in the qualification for the premier club competition.
A fixed amount is awarded for participation in the respective qualification rounds.
Payments for Women's Qualification:
Qualification Round | Amount per Club (Euro) |
|---|---|
Away Team Q1 | 75,000 |
Home Team Q1 | 40,000 |
Away Team Q2 | 80,000 |
Home Team Q2 | 40,000 |
Defeated Teams Q3 | 160,000 |
Winners Q3 | 110,000 |
Additionally, prize money is awarded to clubs participating in Q1 and Q2 based on their ranking in the respective mini-tournament.
Payments for Women's Mini-Tournament:
Mini-Tournament Ranking | Prize Money Q1 (Euro) | Prize Money Q2 (Euro) |
|---|---|---|
Winner | 15,000 | 18,000 |
Runner-up | 10,000 | 12,000 |
Third Place | 5,000 | 6,000 |
Fourth Place | 1,000 | 2,000 |
These amounts already highlight that we are operating in an entirely different dimension here.
This impression will be reinforced by the analysis of payments distributed in the "centrally marketed phase" of the UEFA Women's Champions League, i.e., the league phase.
18.2 Million Euros in the Women's League Phase
A total of 18.2 million euros is paid out in the league phase, half of which comes as a starting bonus of 505,000 euros per club (18 clubs participate).
The other half is distributed as performance-related bonuses. In the UEFA Women's Champions League league phase, a win is rewarded with a 60,000 euro bonus, and a draw with 20,000.
The 18th-placed team in the league phase receives a placement bonus of 10,000 euros. This amount increases by 10,000 euros per place, meaning the first-placed team exits with 180,000 euros.
Prize Money for Women's Champions League League Phase:
Prize | Amount per Club (Euro) |
|---|---|
League Phase Participation | 505,000 |
Win | 60,000 |
Draw | 20,000 |
Placement | 10,000 * x (x stands for the occupied place) |
What Happens After the League Phase?
The teams that finish in the top four places after the league phase directly advance to the knockout phase. The remaining four spots are contested in playoffs between teams ranked 5th to 12th. For teams in places 13-18, the competition ends.
In addition to the playoffs, the knockout phase also includes quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final match. Prize money is distributed again here.
Prize Money for Women's Champions League Knockout Phase:
Prize | Amount per Club (Euro) |
|---|---|
Playoff Participation | 100,000 |
Quarter-finals | 200,000 |
Semi-finals | 250,000 |
Runner-up | 300,000 |
UWCL Winner | 500,000 |
The Comparison
The figures highlighted paint a very clear picture: The difference is striking. In the Men's Champions League, prize money rarely falls below one million euros, while for women, it's sometimes in the single-digit thousands.
The most suitable prize money amounts for a direct comparison are listed again in the following table.
Comparison UCL vs. UWCL
Prize | UCL | UWCL |
|---|---|---|
League Phase Participation | 18.62 Mio. | 505,000 |
Win | 2.1 Mio. | 60,000 |
Draw | 700,000 | 20,000 |
Knockout Phase Playoffs | 1 Mio. | 100,000 |
Quarter-finals | 12.5 Mio. | 200,000 |
Semi-finals | 15 Mio. | 250,000 |
Winner | 6.5 Mio. | 500,000 |
Why is the Difference So Big?
Fans of women's football, in particular, might find this distribution unfair. The fact that such large differences exist is also telling.
The main problem: Compared to men's football, women's football still feels like it's in its infancy. This is underscored by the fact that women's football in Austria was banned by the ÖFB from 1957 to 1982 (!) - i.e., until 44 years ago. Furthermore, only since the 2023/24 season has the promotion of women's football been a mandatory B-criterion in the licensing process for men's Bundesliga clubs.
However, the trend is positive. Especially in recent years, women's football has gained visibility, attracting more and more fans to stadiums. This, in turn, makes women's football more attractive to sponsors, media, and advertising partners.
Revenue Makes the Difference
Because this is precisely where a crucial difference to men's football lies. The revenues generated through media rights, sponsorship, and advertising are significantly higher in the men's sector – which subsequently impacts international competitions.
From a purely economic perspective, it is logical that investments in men's football appear more lucrative for companies. More TV viewers, more stadium attendees, and greater interest support this. This is precisely why it is important to continue promoting women's football in this regard.
Because the more attention drawn to women's football, the more fans attracted to stadiums, and the more interest generated, the more appealing women's football becomes for sponsors and media. More revenue from media rights and sponsorship ultimately means more money that can be distributed through the competitions.
18 Million Difference
To conclude, let's return to the Austrian example. This year, LASK and Austria represent Austria in the league phase of the most important European club competition for their respective gender categories. While LASK receives 18.62 million euros for this, Austria gets 505,000 euros. That's a difference of over 18 million euros, even though both clubs compete on the same European stage.
As previously outlined, it would be utopian to expect similarly high sums to be distributed in women's football as in men's football. The difference is similar, if not even more striking, when it comes to transfer fees or market values. In direct comparison, some of the sums appear truly laughably small, even if they are still valuable money for women's teams. Nevertheless, the scale of the difference remains enormous.
Consider this: While men pursue football as their main profession and invest a large part of their time in it, most female footballers also work and/or study alongside the sport to earn their livelihood.
Despite the high sporting level, many players cannot solely focus on football. Precisely for this reason, the achievements of female footballers deserve special attention and recognition.
