Sports has evolved into one of the most profitable and lucrative businesses in the 21st century. Of all the world sports, football is the most followed with an estimated 3.5 billion fans worldwide.
Every year, various football tournaments and leagues are held, which generate massive revenues for the competition participants.
We take a look at those tournaments with the highest prize money below.
UEFA Champions League.
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual prestigious Football Competition in European Football. With average prize money of $1.3 billion dollars, UEFA has managed to stay on top as the highest-paying football competition in the world and one of the most lucrative sports. Coming close are US sports and to find out more Mirrorreview covers everything you need to know.
The Champions League prize pool varies each season. Winners of the 2016 season, Real Madrid, bagged the sum of $75 million in addition to the prestigious trophy. Last season, the club pocketed $100 million as prize money from the $2.4 billion prize pool.
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup is a prominent tournament that takes place every four years. It features a qualification period that runs for two years to determine which teams compete for the cup. After the qualification stage, a total of 32 teams proceed to compete for the title of the FIFA World Cup and win the prize money.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was hosted by Russia with a total of $576 million prize pool. France emerged victorious and was awarded the sum of $35million for their victory.
UEFA Euro Championship
Considered one of the best football competitions, it is arguably the most difficult championship. The tournament is held every four years and is limited to 24 European teams who are also members of UEFA. Although teams have to go through a knockout stage, they still receive prize money for qualification.
The biggest prize monies also correlate to huge profits for individuals who successfully place bets on teams. In Euro 2016, Daman Chick won an accumulator bet of £1,000,000 after staking just £5 on the goalscorer and the minute the goal was scored. For accumulator bets, comparison sites like SBO expertly review the best sportsbooks offering the highest odds. In addition, on the platform, you’re also able to claim a welcome bonus to boost your bankroll.
At the 2020 UEFA Euros, the prize was €371 million. Italy beat England in the final and went home with a monetary prize worth €34 million, including an additional €10 million for winning the final. The total prize pool varies from competition to competition but continues to grow every year.
UEFA Europa League.
UEFA Europa League is a second-tier European football competition junior to the UEFA Champions League. It also serves as an opportunity for clubs to become European Champions after being eliminated at UEFA Champions’ League Group Stage. European clubs are also eligible based on their performances in their respective domestic football leagues.
In terms of revenue, it might not generate as much as UCL, but it manages to raise a significant amount of money. In 2014, the total prize pool was set at $237million with Sevilla going home with $16.4million as prize money. Winners also automatically qualify for the next season’s UCL and play against the UEFA Champions League winners in the UEFA Super Cup.
FIFA Club World Club
The Club World Club is a football competition with FIFA as its governing body. It involves continental champions in Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania, and Europe, as well as the host.
These champions then compete in a tournament with a knockout-out format. It starts off with a competition between the host nation’s national league champions and Oceania Champions. The winner then moves to the quarter-finals to compete with Asia, Africa, and the North American Champions. Chelsea are the current champions of the cup, while Real Madrid have won the most titles.
The quarter-finals victor then faces the European and South America Champions to compete at the semifinals for a spot at the finals. The winner takes home a silver trophy and a $7 million prize money from a pool of around $28 million.
