One year after hosting the historic 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar are set to defend their crown as the Asian champions when they host the continent’s best teams at the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
This will be the tournament's 18th edition and will consist of 24 national teams, divided into six groups. With Asian football on the rise and Asian stars featuring prominently all over the world, football fans will be bracing themselves for some high-octane extravaganza in what promises to be a fierce clash amongst the best from the continent.
However, it is not just pride that is at stake on these occasions, with lucrative rewards available to those teams that perform best at the tournament.
With that in mind, GOAL takes a look at the financial rewards on offer at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
How much do AFC Asian Cup winners get?
Although AFC have not yet revealed any official figures for the 2023 edition of the Asian Cup, it is understood that the overall prize pool will not change from the one awarded in 2019, when the AFC opted to hand out prize money to all participants for the first time in the competition's history.
The total prize pot for the competition is set at $14.8 million, with the winners in line to net $5 million, which is almost one-third share.
In addition to the purse prize for the winners, the runners-up will receive $3 million, with the two losing semi-finalists set to pocket $1 million each. All 24 participating teams will also bank $200,000.
You can see the full breakdown of prize money in the table below.
2023 Asian Cup Prize Money
| Finish | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| Winner | $5 million |
| Runner-Up | $3 million |
| Losing Semifinalists | $1 million |
| All Participants | $200,000 |
How does the prize money in the 2023 Asian Cup compare to other international competitions?
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and Asia Cup are set to be held simultaneously this winter, beginning a day to each other. According to CAF Online, the AFCON prize money for the 2023 CAF flagship event will be $7 million, which is a 40% rise from the $5 million 2021 champions the Teranga Lions of Senegal received, and a significantly bigger amount to the next quadrennial Asia Cup winners.
The prize pool for the 2024 Copa America, the South American flagship event, is slightly larger than the aforementioned international competitions. The 2024 winning nation will get a grand prize of $10 million, while the runner-up will receive $5 million.
As for the 2024 European Championship, which will be held in Germany, UEFA has already announced that this year's winner would take home a maximum prize of $30.9 million if they win all their group games, while the runner-up will receive €3 million less.