The 2023 Major League Soccer season is reaching its conclusion. After action-packed nine months, only two remain with a chance to be crowned the ultimate champions.
Steven Cherundolo's Los Angeles FC will aim to become the first club to win back-to-back MLS Cup titles in over a decade as they travel to Lower.com Field to defend their crown against the resilient Columbus Crew in the Buckeye State this weekend.
All eyes are firmly set on the December 9th showdown, but aside from the glory and bragging rights, just what financial rewards are up for grabs for the participants? GOAL takes a look...
How is the prize pot distributed in the MLS?
As there is no promotion or relegation system in MLS, teams aren't awarded money based on their league position as seen in the Premier League. However, MLS does hand out cash for certain postseason accomplishments, including winning the MLS Cup or reaching the playoffs.
The total prize money for the MLS Cup is confirmed to be shared amongst the winners, runners-up, and teams who finished in the knockout stages. There is no prize money adjusted for the winners of the two wild-card matches.
How much does the 2023 MLS Cup champion earn?
Although Major League Soccer has not yet revealed any official figures for the 2023 competition, it is understood that the overall prize pool for the playoffs will not change from last year, when it totalled approximately $1.1m and was distributed as follows:
| Stage | Prize money |
|---|---|
| First round | $20,000 |
| Conference semi-finals | $47,500 |
| Conference finals | $100,000 |
| MLS Cup final runners-up | $150,000 |
| MLS Cup final winners | $300,000 |
As well as picking up the MLS Cup trophy itself and being assured of a place in the Concacaf Champions League in 2023, LAFC took home a cool $300,000 as tournament winners last year.
Runners-up Philadelphia Union earned a not-too-shabby $150,000, with the two losing Conference finalists Austin and New York City getting $100,000 for their troubles.
The paycheck gets significantly lower for those who didn't get past the Conference Semifinals, with all four teams getting $47,500 each. As for the other playoff teams who lost in the first round, they were granted a paltry $20,000.
How does the prize money in the 2023 MLS Cup compare to other major competitions?
The prize pot for the 2023 MLS Cup is dwarfed massively by that of the Premier League, which is the richest football league on the planet and is boosted significantly by the influx of lucrative television deals from multiple local and international broadcasters that have flooded into the game in England.
In 2022-23, approximately $3.1 billion was distributed between the 20 teams in the league, with champions Manchester City banking more than $200 million. Southampton, who finished rock-bottom, took home over €125 million, which is well over 100 times the entire payout involved in the MLS Cup.
In the UEFA Champions League, participating clubs earn around $10 million just for making it to the playoff round. Why compare to Europe when the Brasileirao, which is the Brazilian top-flight, is offering winners $15 million in prize money in the current 2023 season?
Even the prize pool for the 2023 Leagues Cup, a new tournament featuring all 47 teams from MLS and Liga MX, was in the ballpark of $40 million, with the champions, Inter Miami, receiving close to $2 million.