How much is the Nations League worth?

The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League has begun, marking the fifth edition of the tournament featuring European national teams. From this season onwards, new rules have been introduced to facilitate the transition towards the previously announced format change for the 2028/29 season. However, the prize money for the national teams taking part in the tournament remains unchanged. The Nations League is divided into four leagues, and the participation prize money is therefore tiered according to the league in which a team competes. It ranges from €750,000 in League D, rising to €1.1 million in League C and €1.5 million in League B. National teams in League A are entitled to €2.25 million.

From here, we move into the realm of bonus payments, which are also organised according to the league structure. UEFA provides an incentive to stimulate competition right from the group stage, with a prize for the team that finishes top of its group. The figures are identical to the participation prize for each individual league, effectively doubling the amount that each national team can earn by finishing top of its group. Then there are the bonuses reserved solely for those participating in League A. Furthermore, since the last edition, the knockout stage has begun with the quarter-finals rather than the semi-finals, and this format has been confirmed for this year as well, thereby extending the next stage to include the runners-up from the four League A groups. The financial bonuses, however, remain the exclusive preserve of the semi-finalists. In fact, the team finishing fourth in the Nations League will receive a prize of 2.5 million. The third-placed team will receive 3.5 million, whilst the runner-up will receive 4.5 million. The team lifting the trophy will take home 6 million, which, when added to the participation prize and any bonuses, brings the total value to 10.5 million.