Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterThe Champions League returns this week, with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa all playing in their opening tournament fixtures on Tuesday evening.Across each teams next eight matches in the tournament, they will fight for a position in the Top 8, and Top 24, of the league phase table; 12 teams of the 36 are guaranteed to exit the competition.Positions one to eight are guaranteed progression to the Champions League Round of 16, while positions nine to 24 enter the play-off round, but what additional incentives are there?Why should Champions League sides play for higher league phase finishes, not just knock-out qualification?Teams finishing in the Top 8 will enjoy two fewer games of football than sides in positions nine to 24 guaranteed Round of 16 qualification bypasses the play-off round, rewarding the league phases strongest-performing clubs with an additional period of rest.All 36 clubs will earn a guaranteed participation fee of around 18.5 million: this is the lowest sum of money that any Champions League club present in the league phase can earn. You may like Champions League 2026/27 draw: Every league phase fixture When is the Champions League draw and how does it work? How to watch Champions League draw: Free Streams and TV info That total is subject to rise dramatically, depending on the results achieved by those competing. Every win in the league phase earns clubs an estimated 2 million, while a draw gives back 750,000.Therefore, a league phase team that takes eight wins from eight in the Champions League will receive an additional 16 million, bringing their total, before bonuses, up to 34.5 million.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.As the first of two bonuses, clubs positioned between first and eighth will receive a further 2 million for their league phase finish, while teams placed ninth to 16th will earn 1 million.There is also a ranking bonus pool of around 183 million, which is split into 666 shares. The highest-placed league phase club receives 36 shares, which totals nearly 10 million.These shares decrease by one for each descending position: the side in second receives 35 shares, the team in third, 34, etc. What to read next How to watch Champions League 2026/27: TV Guide, Free Streams and Fixtures Matchday 1 Quiz! Can you name every team to have ever competed in the Champions League? Non English club to play their home Champions League games in London this season Should a side manage to take eight victories from eight in the league phase, and finish first in the table, they would stand to earn an estimated 46.5 million.Additionally, those figures were collected using financial data from the 2025-26 Champions League tournament rewards stand to rise, as they have done every season, this time out.Each clubs position in the table also determines the quality of their knock-out opposition, and gives the highest-ranked teams home advantage in later rounds.In places nine to 24, each side faces the tables inversely-positioned club. Ninth will face 24th in the play-off round, 10th will face 23rd, 11th will face 22nd, etc.The Champions Leagues finest, those placed first to fourth, are rewarded with slightly easier knock-out routes, by carrying home advantages.Teams in first and second will play their home leg first in every knock-out round until the final, while teams in third and fourth will receive home advantage for their Round of 16 and quarter-final ties.Clubs competing in this seasons Champions League, which gets underway tonight, stand to benefit from all of the above benefits, should they rank highest among their international peers.TOPICSAEK AthensRomaArsenalAston VillaAtltico MadridBod/GlimtBorussia DortmundClub BruggeComoBarcelonaBayern MunichPortoFenerbaheFeyenoordGalatasarayInter MilanLASKLilleLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedPSVPSGRB LeipzigLensReal BetisReal MadridSlavia PrahaNapoliShakhtar DonetskSportingVfB StuttgartVikingVillarrealSlovan BratislavaKedar BayleySocial Links NavigationFreelance WriterKedar Bayley is a trained journalist specialising in culture reporting. As a fan of Liverpool FC,he writes on the Reds often. Knowledgable about all things sports, cinema and television,you can find his words in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News and more.
