Arsenal advanced to the Champions League last 16 with a perfect record of eight wins, yet they have earned slightly less prize money than rivals Liverpool and Manchester City so far this season. The difference stems from UEFA's distribution formula, which rewards long-term European performance. Both Liverpool and City have banked £84 million, compared to Arsenal's £83.1 million.
Arsenal's impressive run in the UEFA Champions League league phase saw them secure eight victories from eight matches, topping the performance earnings with £35.1 million. This propelled Mikel Arteta's side into the knockout stages as favorites to win the competition. However, despite this on-pitch dominance, the Gunners finished just behind Premier League champions Liverpool and Manchester City in total earnings.
According to analysis by the Swiss Ramble football finance blog, published on February 2, 2026, Liverpool and City each received £84 million, edging out Arsenal's £83.1 million. The discrepancy arises in the 'value pillar' portion of the distribution, which accounts for 35% of the total pot and is based on a club's country's media market value combined with UEFA coefficient rankings over the past five and ten years.
Manchester City led English clubs in this category with £39 million, followed by Liverpool's £37.2 million and Arsenal's £32 million. All 36 league phase participants received a £16.1 million starting fee, plus £9.5 million for qualifying for the last 16. Performance-based prizes made up 37.5% of the funds.
Liverpool placed third in the league phase, while City finished eighth—the lowest automatic qualifying position. Other English clubs trailed: Chelsea at £79.6 million, Tottenham at £72.7 million, and Newcastle at £46.7 million, the latter facing playoffs due to a lower coefficient.
Bayern Munich tops the overall earnings with £86.6 million. Further prizes await in the knockouts, including £49.8 million for the eventual winner who also claims the Super Cup.
