Success in the Europa League for Manchester United this season is critical for the club, but how much do they stand to earn from it?
One of very few bright sparks in the 2024/25 season has been Manchester United’s Europa League campaign, with the Reds having one foot in the final following their 3-0 win over Athletic Club in the first leg of their semi-final clash.
United’s financial situation this summer is widely publicised, with Ruben Amorim having to sell to buy in this upcoming transfer window.
It was revealed that United would have as little as £15 million to spend this summer before the numerous departures are taken into account, meaning any competition prize money is key to help the much needed rebuild at Old Trafford.
With United now prioritising the Europa League, owing to the fact they stand no chance of getting automatic entry into European football, just how much money do the club stand to earn if they win the Europa League?
United could earn eight-figure sum by winning Europa League
United’s unbeaten form in the Europa League means that they’ve already earned a sizeable amount of tournament winnings which could be greatly increased with a win in the final.
With the club picking up five wins worth £385,000 each and three draws worth £128,600 each in the league phase saw them earn a total of £2.3 million. Finishing in the top 8 also saw them get a further £514,000.
The prize money further increased with £1.5 million for reaching the last-16, and a further £2.14 million for qualifying for the quarter-final. Beating Lyon over the two-legged tie saw United earn an extra £3.6 million in prize money.
If United finish the job against Bilbao, they would earn £6 million for reaching the final, with another £6 million coming in if they were to lift the trophy, coming to a total of £21.2 million prize money from this season’s Europa League campaign if United go all the way.
Crucial financial aspect of Champions League football for United
If Man Utd fail to lift the Europa League trophy on the 21st of May, it will have a huge financial impact for the future of the club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe recently said that Champions League qualification was worth between £80-100 million, owing to the gulf in prize money between the first and second tier of elite European competition.
For example, Manchester City have earned around £64 million even though they were knocked out of the play-offs by Real Madrid following a disappointing 22nd-placed finish. Arsenal on the other hand sit on around £97 million after reaching the semi-finals.
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Qualification alone for the Champions League would net United £16 million, with each victory being worth £1.8 million, and each draw worth £600,000. The prize money then increases exponentially once you get to the knockouts, with a quarter-final run generating around £73 million from prize money alone.
Matchday income and commercial deal bonuses would then also be taken into account and total figures would easily exceed £100 million which is crucial considering United’s current financial crisis.
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