The Premier League’s dominance over the rest of Europe’s leagues isn’t just reflected in sporting terms; it shows up in financial terms too. Five English clubs have qualified for the Champions League’s top 8, and Aston Villa did the same in the Europa League.
On top of that, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace are competing in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League playoffs, respectively. That strength is mirrored in the enormous sums they’ve earned across Europe’s three club competitions, nearly double what LaLiga clubs have collected.
English teams have earned around $668 million across the three competitions. Arsenal sit top of the list, with a perfect record of eight wins from eight in the group stage, bringing an estimated $57.3 million to their coffers. This came from $21.9 million for participation, roughly $19.8 million for their eight victories, about $11.7 million for finishing first in the group, and a $2.4 million bonus for direct qualification to the round of 16.
Looking across Europe’s leagues highlights a stark contrast. The Premier League leads the way with about $669.8 million in total earnings. LaLiga follow with roughly $421.3 million, around $248 million less than the English league. The Bundesliga are close behind Spain with about $391.6 million, while Serie A have amassed nearly $351.6 million. Ligue 1 sit fifth on around $293 million in total prize money.
Barcelona create multi-million dollar advantage over Real Madrid
At club level, the top earners are dominated by English sides. Arsenal’s near $57 million haul is followed by Bayern Munich on about $54.3 million, with Liverpool third at around $51.2 million.
The first Spanish club on the list is Barcelona in fifth, earning $48.8 million, much of that from a fifth-place group finish worth approximately $10.3 million.
That puts Barcelona slightly ahead of Real Madrid, who have earned about $45.5 million so far in the Champions League.
Madrid’s total is lower mainly because they missed out on the direct round of 16 spot (losing about $1.2 million) and finished below Barcelona in the group (losing a bit more than another million).
Atlético Madrid, the third Spanish club in the competition, have earned around $41.9 million and will increase that if they eliminate Club Brugge. Advancing to the round of 16 brings in an additional $12.9 million, with quarter-final progression worth $14.8 million, semifinals $18 million, and a final appearance another $22.0 million.
The Champions League proved costly for Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal, both eliminated early and missing out on significant revenue. Bilbao still earned around $31.5 million for participation, while Villarreal collected about $23.5 million. By contrast, Aston Villa, despite a strong Europa League run, have only amassed around $12.9 million, underscoring the financial gulf between the Champions League and Europe’s second-tier competition.
All of this emphasises how much the Premier League’s economic pull widens the gap with other leagues. English clubs are not only dominating on the pitch — they are pulling significantly further ahead financially in European competitions.