The UEFA Champions League is one of the most prestigious tournaments for clubs in Europe. In this article we will explain who can enter the competition, how the rounds work and what the prize money is for the Women’s Champions League – and of course how this compares to the men’s.
Who can enter the Women’s Champions League?
The format will change after the UWCL 2024/2025.
The clubs that have access to the UEFA Women’s Champions League are determined by the coefficients. The six highest ranked countries have three entries in the tournament. At the time of writing the countries are France, Germany, Spain, England, Italy and Sweden. The next ten highest on the ranking get two entries, other countries only one.
How many rounds are there in the Women’s Champions League?
The group stage is entered by the clubs from the highest ranking countries. The Champions from last year, in this case FC Barcelona, qualify as holders immediately. This means country number four, England, gets an automatic placement as well.
Ranks five to seven enter in round 2 and the other countries enter in round 1. The runners up either enter in round 2 or round 1 depending on the ranking from their country. Some are required to start in the preliminary round if they qualify in another way.
Prize money Women’s Champions League
This is the financial breakdown of last seasons 2023/2024 Women’s Champions League shows that the tournament is no where near the men’s prize money.
| Position | Prize money |
| Winner | €350,000 |
| Runner-up | €200,000 |
| Semi-finalist | €180,000 |
| Quarter-finalist | €160,000 |
| Group stage win | €50,000 |
| Group stage draw | €17,000 |
| Qualifying for group stage | €400,000 |
The money is not paid out all at once. The UEFA pays teams small amounts for certain achievements such as winning the group or playing in the semi-finals. If you compare the women to the men you are in for a real shock. The winner of the Women’s Champions League earns around €1.4 million, while the men’s club earns close to €20.000.000. The men’s clubs also get a share of the TV revenue. This is something that Women’s players are battling for within the federation’s of their countries. The Lionesses seem to have made some steps in the right direction here.
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