How much more prize money are Celtic guaranteed in Champions League versus Europa League?

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Celtic stand on the brink of two extremes.

One is reaching the Champions League league phase for a second season, which is likely to help in the remaining weeks of the transfer window.

And the other is dropping down into the Europa League league phase, which would be financially damaging and a bad look for the club’s board.

Standing in Celtic’s way is Kairat Almaty in the play-off round, with the first leg this Wednesday night at Parkhead.

So how much is the minimum financial gulf between the Champions League and Europa League? 67 Hail Hail crunches the numbers below.

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Champions League prize money

If Celtic beat Kairat Almaty over two legs in the play-off round, they will qualify for the league phase of the Champions League.

All clubs who reach the league phase are guaranteed a participation fee, which is simply earned for taking part.

For 2025/26, UEFA have set this participation fee at €18.62m, which is roughly £16.1m for Celtic.

Europa League prize money

Now to exemplify the difference between the luxury of the Champions League and the relative mediocrity of the Europa League, UEFA’s second tier competition.

The Hoops will drop down into the league phase of the Europa League if Kairat Almaty win over two legs in the play-off round.

Again, all clubs who qualify for the Europa League will earn a participation fee. UEFA have set that at €4.31m this season, which is around £3.73m for the Bhoys.

The difference in prize money for Celtic

So even if Celtic qualify for the Champions League league phase and lose every game, they will still receive just over £16m from UEFA for taking part, plus gate receipts and commercial income.

At the very least, Champions League qualification is worth an extra £12.37m for Celtic compared to competing in the Europa League this season.

The likelihood is that the above figure will compound if Celtic reach the Champions League. The more wins and draws earned, and the farther you go in the competition, the wider the gap becomes.