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FA Cup prize money: How does it stand up to Premier League and Champions League?

The FA Cup third round gets under way in January as Premier League and Championship teams join the competition.

It is one of England's most prestigious tournaments and it is the oldest football competition in the world, but how does it stack up against others in terms of prize money?

Goal takes a look at the FA Cup prize money breakdown.

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HOW MUCH IS THE FA CUP PRIZE MONEY?


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The total prize money for the 2017-18 FA Cup is £13,693,500 and this is allocated to the winners - and, in some cases, losers - of each round, on a pro rata basis.

The smallest prize available is £1,500, which is given to the winners of the extra preliminary round matches. As can be seen in the table below, that figure gradually increases in each round.

RoundNo. of clubsPrize per club
Extra preliminary round winners185£1,500
Preliminary round winners160£1,925
First round qualifying winners116£3,000
Second round qualifying winners80£4,500
Third round qualifying winners40£7,500
Fourth round qualifying winners32£12,500
First round proper winners40£18,000
Second round proper winners20£27,000
Third round proper winners32£67,500
Fourth round proper winners16£90,000
Fifth round proper winners8£180,000
Quarter-final winners4£360,000
Semi-final losers2£450,000
Semi-final winners2£900,000
Final runners-up1£900,000
Final winners1£1,800,000

Generally, only the round winners are rewarded, but in some cases, such as the semi-final and the final, the losing team receives a certain amount too.

As well as that, clubs receive television money and gate receipts, which can fluctuate, but serves to complement prize money earnings.

How much does the FA Cup winner get?

The prize for winning the FA Cup final itself is £1,800,000, but the total cumulative reward depends on how many rounds a team progresses through.

For example, Premier League and Championship clubs enter at the third round so they will have to win six matches to emerge with the trophy. In the case of a winner from one of these two divisions, they will pocket a total of £3,397,500.

A team that entered the FA Cup from the extra preliminary round would have to win 14 games in order to lift the trophy and, as a result, they would pocket slightly more money as well - £3,473,425, to be exact, or £75,925 more.


HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE?


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The prize pot for the FA Cup is dwarfed by that of the Premier League, which is boosted significantly by the influx of finance from television deals.

In 2016-17, nearly £2.4 billion was distributed between the 20 teams in the league, with champions Chelsea earning £150,811,183. Sunderland, who finished bottom, took home £93,471,118.

Television money is divided equally among the clubs, as is central commercial funds. The chief variation is seen in terms of league finish, with first getting the most and last getting the least.

Chelsea, for example, received £38,832,180 for topping the division, but bottom-side Sunderland got considerably less (£1,941,609). The teams that finished in the top five all received over £30m.


HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?


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Not surprisingly, FA Cup prize money also pales in comparison to the Champions League. 

In fact, a single win in the group stage of the Champions League yields a €1.5m (£1.3m) reward, while a draw earns €500k (£440k).

Teams that compete in the last 16 will receive €6m (£5.2m) each, while the quarter-finalists are given a further €6.5m (£5.7m) and the four semi-finalists get €7.5m (£6.5m) each for reaching that stage.

Winning the Champions League final brings with it a prize of €15.5m (£13.5m) and the runners-up receive €11m (£9.6m).

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