Champions League prize money: Insane figure Newcastle United will earn if they finish in top five

Champions League qualification is the holy grail for Newcastle United this season. While the Carabao Cup win evoked passion and tears, with a 70-year domestic trophy burden obliterated into the history book, the European race bears more importance for the club’s long-term future.

Nobody can begrudge a Newcastle fan, player or manager for prioritising silverware. Those who got the Magpies over the line last month are now etched into Geordie folklore.

An open-top bus parade and a wave of black and white sweeping the city would never have materialised simply for earning European football. This is, after all, a club that have enjoyed many continental escapades in the past 25 years.

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But the brutal truth is that the Wembley win generated just £100,000 in revenue. While a life-changing sum to the common man, that sum does not cover Bruno Guimaraes or Alexander Isak for another week.

In a world where PSR governs all, the Champions League provides the gravy train. Earning a seat at UEFA’s top table propels revenues and, by extension, allows clubs to attract top players.

The exclusive club featuring Europe’s elite has become a little easier to gain entry this season. England have been awarded an extra spot for Premier League clubs performing well in UEFA competition throughout 2024-25.

As a result, the top five - rather than the traditional four - will qualify. That could extend to six English clubs if Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur win the Europa League.

Newcastle currently sit third but are just two points above Aston Villa - who swept the Magpies side 4-1 on Saturday - in seventh. One of the tightest Champions League races in years is where the Premier League focus has shifted given the forgone conclusions at both ends of the table.

But how much can Newcastle expect to bank if, as hoped, they reach the promised land? Here is a breakdown from the ongoing campaign to give an estimate of United’s potential earnings.

Champions League revenue breakdown for the 2024-25 season

The revamped “Swiss model” came into action for the current season. This guarantees eight group games against different opponents, with four home fixtures and four away.

Given their lack of recent history in Europe, Newcastle, using the old system, were plunged into pot four last year. This de facto made the Magpies “minnows” and placed them in a group of death alongside Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.

The new system works better for Newcastle, with Aston Villa, a club in a similar boat, providing an example. Every club was guaranteed £15.7million for participating in the Champions League regardless of performance.

However, where things get exciting is that every club received £1.7million per win in the group phase. A draw earned £583,000, while finishing in the top 16 - and earning automatic qualification for the knockout rounds - pocketed another £1.7million.

There are further bonuses for progressing through the knockout rounds. For example, clubs earn £9.3 million for the last 16, £10.6 million for the quarter-finals, £12.7 million for the semi-finals, £15.6 million for the final, and the winner nets an additional £5.5 million.

Using Villa, who crashed out at the quarter-final stage to PSG, as a barometer, they will bank £45million in total for their Champions League run. Beating the Ligue 1 club and progressing to the semi-final would have lifted that figure to £57million.

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