UEFA reveal details of second-tier women's club competition as Euro 2025 prize money is confirmed

It was announced last year that a second women's club competition would be introduced in Europe for the 2025-26 season, to sit under the Women's Champions League as the Europa League does on the men's side, and that it would take on a straight knockout format, but no name had been decided by that point. UEFA has now confirmed that it will be called the Women's Europa Cup and that it will have a two-legged knockout format.

That was not the only decision the UEFA executive committee made on Monday, as it also approved a new record revenue distribution system for these women's club competitions for the next five years. For the next two seasons, starting in 2025-26, UEFA projects that €37.7 million (£31.2m / $39.6m) will be available per season for distribution, rising to a projected €46.7m (£38.7m / $49m) for the three seasons that follow.

Finally, UEFA also confirmed that prize money for Euro 2025 will be set at €41m (£34m / $43m), that representing a 156% increase on the figure from Euro 2022, which was won by England. For the first time, participating nations will distribute a guaranteed percentage of this to their players, that figure between 30% and 40%.

These decisions signalled the start of a big week for women's football and UEFA, with the Euro 2025 group stage draw to take place on Monday evening before the Champions League group stage concludes across Tuesday and Wednesday, setting up the quarter-final line-up for the spring.