Arsenal top Champions League earnings chart with €60m windfall
Gunners lead Bayern Munich and Liverpool in revenue from group stage, with Spanish clubs trailing behind in the money rankings.
Arsenal have raked in nearly €60 million from their perfect Champions League group stage campaign, topping the money table ahead of Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
Perfect Gunners cash in
Mikel Arteta’s side have been laughing all the way to the bank with their flawless record of eight wins from eight matches in the Champions League’s new league phase. Their impressive performances have translated directly to the bottom line, earning them a tidy sum of €59.74 million so far.
The financial breakdown shows just how lucrative Champions League success can be:
- €18.62m - Base participation fee (same for all 36 clubs)
- €16.8m - Match victories (€2.1m per win)
- €11m - Round of 16 qualification bonus
- €2m - Extra bonus for finishing in top eight
- €11.32m - League phase ranking payment
Bayern Munich (€57.33m) and Liverpool (€54.92m) follow closely behind in the earnings table.
Spanish clubs lagging behind
The financial picture for La Liga representatives isn’t quite as rosy:
- Barcelona: €52.89m - The only Spanish club to qualify directly for the Round of 16
- Real Madrid: €37.93m - Dropped out of top eight after final matchday stumble
- Atlético Madrid: €34.95m - Also facing playoff round after home disappointment
- Athletic Bilbao: €26.43m - Eliminated from competition
- Villarreal: €19.94m - A dismal campaign with just one draw from eight matches
Real Madrid and Atlético must now contest playoff ties, with a €1m bonus awaiting the winners who advance to the Round of 16.
Knockout stage riches await
The financial rewards only increase as the tournament progresses:
- Round of 16: €11m (up from €9.6m last season)
- Quarter-finals: €12.5m (up from €10.6m)
- Semi-finals: €15m (up from €12.5m)
- Runners-up: €18.5m (up from €15.5m)
- Champions: €25m (up from €20m)
Value pillar not included
Importantly, these figures don’t include the ‘value pillar’ payments - additional money distributed based on each club’s commercial value and historical performance. UEFA will share €850m among participants through this mechanism, part of their €2.47bn total distribution over three seasons until 2026/27.
For context, last season’s champions PSG pocketed a total of €144.4m from their triumph, while finalists Inter Milan earned €136.6m.