Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will face off in Bilbao in the Europa League final, with millions of pounds on the line along with significant bragging rights
The Europa League trophy on display
The Europa League trophy on display(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have plenty on the line when they face off in Bilbao. The Europa League trophy is enough of an incentive itself, while Champions League qualification will be a welcome bonus, but the prize money isn't too bad either.
Both teams navigated the new league phase, finishing in the top eight to avoid an extra play-off round. Both were also put to the test during the knockout rounds, but reached the final after home-and-away victories against Athletic Club and Bodo/Glimt respectively in the semis.
According to official UEFA figures, the two finalists are each guaranteed a little over £5.9million just for making it to Bilbao. They'll nearly double it with a win, though, with an extra £5.06m going to whoever comes out on top at San Mames.
That's about half of what the Champions League winners will earn. Whichever of Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain wins that tournament will receive £21.1m, compared to just shy of £11m for the Europa League winners.
Those numbers are just for the knockout runs, with all 36 teams in the Europa League's league phase entitled to £3.63m as well as further payouts based on results. A reward of around £380,000 per win and £126,500 per draw means both United and Spurs earned seven-figure sums for their league phase performances.
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That's only part of the story, though. Due to the two teams' lowly Premier League positions, neither will be in Europe next season unless they win at San Mames.
The winners will scoop an estimated £100m for making it into the Champions League, with a chance to boost that total even more by reaching the latter stages of that tournament next season. And United boss Ruben Amorim has sent a message to the fans and to his players ahead of the game.
Action from Spurs vs Man Utd in February 2025
Only one of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will play in next season's Champions League
“It’s hard. It’s not enough, winning the Europa League. It’s not enough for all the support the fans gave us this season," Amorim said. “But we’re really excited for the final. It's really important, massive for us, and we want to give that to our fans.
“I feel it's a mixed feeling. I'm really excited but, at the same time, I know my responsibility as Manchester United coach. I have always that feeling of frustration for the season, so I want really badly to help the team win this final. We've got to give something to the club, to the fans, to the staff, to everybody.”
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