African Football Confederation Boosts Payouts for Champions of Top Club Tournament

Monday's announcement revealed that the winners of the Confederation of African Football's two club competitions will see a significant boost in prize money starting this season. The 2025/26 CAF Champions League winners will now receive $6 million, equivalent to 5.18 million euros, marking an increase from the previous $4 million.

n

The CAF Confederation Cup, Africa's equivalent of the UEFA Europa League, will award its champion $4 million, representing a 50 percent rise from last season's amount.

n

Prize money for the runners-up remains unchanged, with the Champions League runner-up set to receive $2 million and the Confederation Cup runner-up getting $1 million.

n

Clubs have long expressed dissatisfaction with the financial aspects of competing in African competitions, often citing significant losses, and the increased prize money is likely to be well-received.

n

A major contributor to these financial losses is the high cost of air travel, which can be both expensive and time-consuming due to the lack of direct flights between many countries.

n

In some cases, it is more cost-effective for clubs to fly from Africa to Europe than to travel within the continent, leading some teams, particularly those in southern Africa, to route their travel through the Middle East or Europe for CAF matches in the north.

n

Since South African businessman Patrice Motsepe took the helm as CAF president in 2021, the prize money has undergone several increases, with Motsepe currently serving his second four-year term.

n

The quarter-final first legs of both the Champions League and Confederation Cup are scheduled to take place this weekend, kicking off on Friday with a match between South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns and Mali's Stade Malien in the Champions League in Pretoria.