# Champions League vs Europa League: What's the Difference and Which Is Better? > The Champions League is for Europe's elite, the Europa League for the rest — here's how they differ, why one pays far more, and which teams qualify. *Section: Sports — By Tom Bennett (Sports Writer) — Published June 26, 2026 — 8 min read* Canonical URL: https://dailyjunction.org/sports/champions-league-vs-europa-league-explained Tags: Champions League, Europa League, European football, UEFA, prize money, qualification, football competitions, European nights ## Key takeaways - The Champions League features Europe's top 36 clubs with prize money up to €85 million for winners, while the Europa League has 36 teams with €18 million for winners - Champions League qualification goes to top-four finishers in major leagues (England, Spain, Germany, Italy), while Europa League takes 5th-7th place plus cup winners - TV revenue is vastly different: Champions League clubs earn €15-120 million per season, Europa League clubs earn €3-15 million - The Champions League anthem, Wednesday night slots, and prestige make it the pinnacle of club football, while Europa League is seen as a consolation prize - Since 2021, the Europa Conference League has been added as a third tier for smaller clubs, with 36 teams and €5 million for winners Every season, Europe's top clubs compete in two major tournaments: the **Champions League** and the **Europa League**. The Champions League is the pinnacle of club football, featuring the continent's elite and offering prize money up to **€85 million** for the winners. The Europa League is the second tier, with smaller clubs and prize money up to **€18 million**. Both are prestigious, but the Champions League is in a different stratosphere — in terms of quality, money, and global attention. Here is everything you need to know about the two competitions, how they differ, and which teams qualify. ## What Is the Champions League? The **UEFA Champions League** is the premier club competition in European football, featuring the best teams from Europe's top leagues. It is widely considered the most prestigious club trophy in the world, and winning it is the ultimate achievement for any club. ### Format (2024-25 onwards) The Champions League has **36 teams** competing in a new **league phase** (replacing the old group stage): - Each team plays **8 matches** against 8 different opponents (4 home, 4 away) - The **top 8** teams qualify directly for the **round of 16** - Teams finishing **9th-24th** enter a **knockout playoff** (two-legged ties) - Teams finishing **25th-36th** are eliminated From the round of 16 onwards, it is a **knockout tournament** (two-legged ties until the final, which is a single match at a neutral venue). ### Prize money Champions League prize money is enormous: - **Participation**: €18.62 million (just for qualifying) - **Win bonus**: €2.1 million per win in the league phase - **Draw bonus**: €700,000 per draw - **Knockout bonuses**: €11 million (round of 16), €12.5 million (quarter-finals), €15 million (semi-finals), €18.5 million (runners-up), €25 million (winners) - **TV pool**: €15–120 million (depending on league and market size) The **winners** can earn up to **€85 million** in total (including TV pool). Even losing in the league phase earns you €20–30 million. ### The anthem The Champions League has an iconic **anthem** ("The Champions") that plays before every match. It is one of the most recognisable pieces of music in sport, and it signals that you are watching the elite of European football. ### Prestige Winning the Champions League is the ultimate club achievement. It is harder to win than most domestic leagues, and it is the trophy every top player and manager wants. **Real Madrid** are the most successful club, with **15 titles** (including 6 in the last 11 years). ## What Is the Europa League? The **UEFA Europa League** is the second-tier European competition, featuring clubs that did not qualify for the Champions League. It is still a prestigious tournament, but it is seen as a step below the Champions League in terms of quality, money, and global attention. ### Format (2024-25 onwards) The Europa League has **36 teams** competing in a new **league phase** (same format as the Champions League): - Each team plays **8 matches** against 8 different opponents - The **top 8** teams qualify directly for the **round of 16** - Teams finishing **9th-24th** enter a **knockout playoff** (joined by teams eliminated from the Champions League) - Teams finishing **25th-36th** are eliminated From the round of 16 onwards, it is a **knockout tournament** (two-legged ties until the final, which is a single match at a neutral venue). ### Prize money Europa League prize money is much lower than the Champions League: - **Participation**: €4.31 million - **Win bonus**: €450,000 per win in the league phase - **Draw bonus**: €150,000 per draw - **Knockout bonuses**: €1.5 million (round of 16), €2.5 million (quarter-finals), €4.6 million (semi-finals), €7 million (runners-up), €10 million (winners) - **TV pool**: €3–15 million The **winners** can earn up to **€18 million** in total — less than a quarter of what Champions League winners earn. ### Prestige The Europa League is prestigious, but it is not the Champions League. Top clubs often rotate heavily and prioritise their domestic league, while smaller clubs take it very seriously. Winning the Europa League is a major achievement, but it does not carry the same weight as winning the Champions League. Recent winners include **Sevilla** (7 titles, the most successful club), **Atalanta** (2024), and **West Ham** (2023). ## How Teams Qualify ### Champions League qualification The top leagues (England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France) get **4 automatic places** for their top-four finishers. Smaller leagues get fewer places, and some must go through **qualifying rounds**. **Premier League (2024-25)**: - **1st-4th place** → Champions League league phase - **5th place** → Europa League league phase - **FA Cup winner** → Europa League league phase (or 6th place if the cup winner finishes top 5) - **Carabao Cup winner** → Europa Conference League (or 7th place if the cup winner finishes top 6) If an English club wins the Champions League or Europa League but finishes outside the top 4, they qualify for the Champions League, and England gets an extra place (up to 5 teams). ### Europa League qualification The Europa League takes teams that did not qualify for the Champions League: - **5th-7th place** in major leagues - **Cup winners** (FA Cup, Copa del Rey, etc.) - **Teams eliminated from Champions League qualifying** ### Europa Conference League qualification The **Europa Conference League** is a third-tier competition introduced in 2021 for smaller clubs. It has **36 teams** and prize money up to **€5 million** for winners. Premier League qualification: - **Carabao Cup winner** (or 7th place if the cup winner finishes top 6) ## Key Differences | Feature | Champions League | Europa League | | --- | --- | --- | | **Teams** | 36 (Europe's elite) | 36 (second-tier clubs) | | **Prize money** | Up to €85 million | Up to €18 million | | **Prestige** | Highest in club football | Prestigious but second-tier | | **Match days** | Tuesday/Wednesday | Thursday | | **Anthem** | Iconic ("The Champions") | Less iconic | | **TV revenue** | €15–120 million | €3–15 million | | **Quality** | Best teams in Europe | Good but not elite | | **Winner's reward** | Champions League qualification (already in it) | Champions League qualification (huge incentive) | ## Why the Champions League Is Better ### 1. Money Champions League clubs earn **5–10 times more** than Europa League clubs. This allows them to buy better players, pay higher wages, and invest in infrastructure. For example, **Manchester City** earned **€120 million** from winning the Champions League in 2023. **West Ham** earned **€18 million** from winning the Europa League the same year. ### 2. Prestige The Champions League is the pinnacle of club football. Winning it is the ultimate achievement, and it is the trophy every top player and manager wants. The Europa League is prestigious, but it is not the Champions League. ### 3. Quality The Champions League features the best teams in Europe: **Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Barcelona, Liverpool**. The Europa League features good teams, but not the elite. ### 4. Global attention Champions League matches are watched by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Europa League matches get far less attention, especially outside Europe. ### 5. Wednesday nights Champions League matches are played on **Tuesday and Wednesday nights**, which are seen as the premium slots for European football. Europa League matches are played on **Thursday nights**, which are less glamorous and can disrupt domestic league schedules (teams have less recovery time before weekend matches). ## Why Some Teams Prefer the Europa League ### 1. Easier to win The Europa League is easier to win because the top teams are not in it. For smaller clubs, it is their best chance of European glory. ### 2. Champions League qualification The Europa League winner qualifies for the Champions League the following season. For clubs that cannot finish top 4 in their league, winning the Europa League is an alternative route. For example, **West Ham** (2023) and **Eintracht Frankfurt** (2022) won the Europa League and qualified for the Champions League, despite finishing mid-table in their domestic leagues. ### 3. Less pressure The Europa League has less pressure and less scrutiny than the Champions League. For smaller clubs, it is a chance to enjoy European football without the intense spotlight. ## Do Premier League Teams Take the Europa League Seriously? It depends on the club: ### Top-six clubs Clubs like **Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham** often rotate heavily in the Europa League, prioritising the Premier League and Champions League qualification. They see the Europa League as a distraction and a burden (Thursday night matches disrupt their schedule). However, if they reach the later stages (quarter-finals, semi-finals), they take it more seriously because winning guarantees Champions League qualification. ### Smaller clubs Clubs like **West Ham, Leicester, Wolves** take the Europa League very seriously. It is their best chance of winning a major trophy and qualifying for the Champions League. West Ham's 2023 Europa League win was the club's first major trophy in 43 years. ## The Europa Conference League The **Europa Conference League** is a third-tier competition introduced in 2021 for smaller clubs from smaller leagues. It has **36 teams** and prize money up to **€5 million** for winners. The Conference League is less prestigious than the Europa League, but it is still a major trophy for smaller clubs. Recent winners include **West Ham** (2023, before they won the Europa League) and **Olympiacos** (2024). ## The Bottom Line The Champions League features Europe's top 36 clubs with prize money up to €85 million for winners, while the Europa League has 36 teams with €18 million for winners. Champions League qualification goes to top-four finishers in major leagues, while Europa League takes 5th-7th place plus cup winners. TV revenue is vastly different: Champions League clubs earn €15-120 million per season, Europa League clubs earn €3-15 million. The Champions League anthem, Wednesday night slots, and prestige make it the pinnacle of club football, while Europa League is seen as a consolation prize. Since 2021, the Europa Conference League has been added as a third tier for smaller clubs. The Champions League is better in every way — money, prestige, quality, global attention — but the Europa League is still a major trophy and offers a route to Champions League qualification. For top clubs, the Europa League is a distraction. For smaller clubs, it is a dream. Both competitions are part of what makes European football special, but the Champions League is the one everyone wants to win. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can a team play in both competitions in the same season? No. If you are eliminated from the Champions League group stage or knockout rounds, you drop into the Europa League (until 2024). From 2024-25, teams eliminated from the Champions League league phase enter the Europa League knockout playoffs. You cannot play in both simultaneously. ### Which is harder to win? The Champions League is far harder. It features the best teams in Europe (Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG) and the competition is brutal. The Europa League is easier because the top clubs are not in it, though it is still competitive. Winning either is a major achievement. ### Do Premier League teams take the Europa League seriously? It depends. Top-six clubs often rotate heavily and prioritise the Premier League, seeing the Europa League as a distraction. Smaller clubs (like West Ham, who won in 2023) take it very seriously because it is their best chance of European glory and Champions League qualification. ## Sources - [UEFA — Champions League](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/) - [UEFA — Europa League](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/) - [The Guardian — European football coverage](https://www.theguardian.com/football/championsleague) - [Deloitte — Football finance reports](https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/sports-business-group/articles/annual-review-of-football-finance.html) --- Daily Junction — https://dailyjunction.org/sports/champions-league-vs-europa-league-explained