Winning the FA Cup is always an event worth celebrating, especially when it brings with it some healthy financial rewards, and particularly for those lower-league clubs who manage to advance through the rounds.
The overall prize pot on offer from the Football Association may not be as lucrative as it once was, with belts being tightened on the back of a global pandemic, but major silverware is still worth securing and the prize money undoubtedly makes a difference to those lower down the football pyramid.
Indeed, there is plenty of magic still to be found in the FA Cup and, with that in mind, GOAL takes a look and how much clubs stand to earn on the long road to Wembley.
What is the 2021-22 FA Cup prize money?
The FA Cup is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2022, with Wanderers the first winners of one of the oldest prizes in world football back in 1872.
The game has come a long way since then and even those that started out in the extra-preliminary rounds back in August will receive some financial reward for their efforts.
It has always been the case, though, that the spoils go to the victors and the winners of this season’s competition will once again receive a trophy-winning bonus of £1.8 million ($2.4m).
A full breakdown of the FA Cup prize money for 2021-22 can be found in the table below.
Round | No. of teams | Prize money |
|---|---|---|
Extra preliminary round winners | 174 | £1,125 |
Extra preliminary round losers | 174 | £375 |
Preliminary round winners | 155 | £1,444 |
Preliminary round losers | 155 | £481 |
First round qualifying winners | 121 | £2,250 |
First round qualifying losers | 121 | £750 |
Second round qualifying winners | 82 | £3,375 |
Second round qualifying losers | 82 | £1,125 |
Third round qualifying winners | 41 | £5,625 |
Third round qualifying losers | 41 | £1,875 |
Fourth round qualifying winners | 32 | £9,375 |
Fourth round qualifying losers | 32 | £3,125 |
First round proper winners | 40 | £22,629 |
Second round proper winners | 20 | £34,000 |
Third round proper winners | 32 | £82,000 |
Fourth round proper winners | 16 | £90,000 |
Fifth round proper winners | 8 | £180,000 |
Quarter-final winners | 4 | £360,000 |
Semi-final winners | 2 | £900,000 |
Semi-final losers | 2 | £450,000 |
Final runners-up | 1 | £900,000 |
Final winners | 1 | £1,800,000 |
For the Premier League and Championship sides that entered the FA Cup at the third-round stage, ultimate glory is worth a little over £3.4m ($4.6m), while beaten finalists would pocket £2.5m ($3.3m).
The prize pots do jump up sharply the further through the competition you go, with there some serious cash on offer once you make it through round four.
Alongside the bonuses that accompany progress down a path to the home of English football, those clubs involved in the most appealing of fixtures also stand to benefit from television coverage contracts.
What was the FA Cup prize money in 2020-21?
GettyNot much has changed over the course of the last 12 months when it comes to dividing up the FA Cup prize pot.
Some slight tweaks have been made, with money increasing from the first round proper, but big changes were already made in 2020-21.
Prize money was slashed last season, from what it had been in 2019-20, with Leicester – who prevailed in a keenly-fought final clash with Premier League champions Manchester City - pulling in half of what Arsenal had earned some 12 months earlier.