Winning the competition as the League A group winner can net a Nations League prize money payout of up to €10.5 million. Simply participating in the competition pays between €750,000 and €2.25 million.
The Nations League was created to give international breaks more meaning than a friendly and, yes, there’s a decent chunk of cash on offer for the associations involved. It is prize money with a clear ladder: the higher the league and the deeper the run, the bigger the reward.
How much prize money do the Nations League winners get?
The headline number for Nations League prize money is €6 million for the team that wins the finals stage.
That is the performance payment for the champion, and it sits on top of the league-stage money earned earlier in the competition, and is what each of the Nations League favourites is looking to claim.
For a League A side, the route to the biggest fixed payout is simple enough: €2.25 million for taking part, another €2.25 million for winning the group, and €6 million for lifting the trophy. That takes a League A group winner to €10.5 million in fixed payments before any separate finals ticketing share is added.
How much Nations League prize money does each League team get?
Each league starts with a different base payment, and each league winner gets the same amount again as a group bonus. That means the payout doubles at the top of the group stage before the finals even begin.
The numbers mean that every association gets paid simply for being part of the tournament, but the scale shifts sharply by league. League A receives the largest slice of Nations League prize money, while League D gets the smallest entry fee and the smallest upside.
The winners of League A also have the chance to add finals money on top of that doubled group-stage total. If they go all the way, the fixed total reaches €10.5 million. Teams that win the lower tiers get a shot at more Nations League prize money next season by getting promoted to a more valuable League.
How does Nations League prize money compare to other competitions?
Club football and international football tournaments operate in very different financial spheres, so this is not an apples-to-apples fight. Even so, the size of the prizes shows how Nations League prize money sits well below the biggest club-event payouts.
Champions League prize money begins when the League Phase pays each qualifying club €18.62 million just for reaching the competition proper, before wins, draws, and position bonuses are added. That means the base payment for one club in Europe’s top club competition is already higher than the maximum fixed Nations League figure for a League A champion.
The Super Cup is much simpler. Both teams receive €4 million, and the winner gets another €1 million for a total of €5 million. That puts the Super Cup winner below a League A Nations League champion on the fixed-payment scale, but still in the same broad conversation because it is a one-match prize rather than a season-long ladder.
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FAQ
How much Nations League prize money do the runners-up get?
The runners-up in the finals receive €4.5 million as their performance payment. If a runner-up also won its League A group, the fixed total would reach €9 million before any finals ticketing share is included.
How much is in the total Nations League prize money pool for 2026/27?
The fixed participation and performance-related payments add up to €122.5 million before the finals ticketing share is included. That figure is made up of €84.5 million in base payments, €21.5 million in group-winner bonuses and €16.5 million in finals performance bonuses for the four countries that reach the finals stage.
