Even though the UEFA Champions League may be considered as the most prestigious and followed club competition on the planet, the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) has its own relevance mainly in the Americas and the Caribbean regions.
Club Leon, the lowest ranked Liga MX side, are up against reigning MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC in the 2023 CCL final that take place over two legs - the first leg taking place on May 31, 2023, and the return leg on June 4, 2023.
Apart from winning the continental title, the winners also get a shot at representing the region at the FIFA Club World Cup that in itself has additional monetary benefits.
It can be argued that the winnings of the CCL are a far cry from what may be termed as fair or satisfactory, as GOAL takes as look...
Full breakdown of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League prize money:
Stage | Prize money |
---|---|
Winner | $500,000 |
Runner-up | $300,000 |
Semi-finalists | $200,000 |
How does the prize money in the CONCACAF Champions compare to other continental competitions?
(C)Getty ImagesSeattle Sounders took home the $500,000 after clinching the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League champions, but ended up bagging a payout as high as $1 million despite losing in the second round at the subsequent Club World Cup that they competing in.
For context, in the Champions League, participating clubs are set to earn €5 million just for making it to the playoff round. 2022 Champions League winners Real Madrid were awarded prize money of €20 million, TV rights and other incentives apart.
Los Blancos also earned an additional €3.5 million by participating in the UEFA Super Cup and €1 million more as a result of beating Eintracht Frankfurt in the final.
Why compare to Europe when the Copa Libertadores, which is the South American equivalent of the Champions League, can offer winners $18 million in prize money and the runner-up $7 million.
Even the AFC Champions League winners would get richer by $4 million.