May 25th 2024.
This weekend, the highly anticipated FA Cup final will be taking place at the iconic Wembley Stadium. It marks the end of the competition as Manchester City and Manchester United go head to head in hopes of securing the coveted trophy.
Interestingly, this is a repeat of last year's final, which saw City emerge victorious with a two-goal lead from their former captain, Ilkay Gundogan. While City will be aiming to add another trophy to their collection after their recent Premier League win, United's manager, Erik ten Hag, will be looking to end his tenure at Old Trafford with a high note. Reports suggest that he may be sacked following the final, adding even more pressure to the already intense match.
But it's not just the trophy at stake in this final showdown. There is also a significant cash prize waiting for the winning team. Prior to the final, let's take a look at the prize money that's up for grabs in this year's FA Cup.
The winning team will receive a whopping £2 million from the FA's prize fund, while the runner-up will take home a generous £1 million. However, this amount only accounts for the final match. Throughout the competition, teams also receive bonus cash for each round they win. As both City and United entered the competition in the third round, the winner will have earned a total of £3.9 million in prize money by the end of the final.
While this may seem like a significant amount, it's not a life-changing sum for Premier League clubs. However, for smaller teams, such as sixth-tier Maidstone United, who managed to upset the odds and reach the fifth round, the financial rewards can be life-changing. They earned over £350,000 in prize money alone, including surprising wins against top teams like Ipswich Town.
Even second-tier Coventry City, who were eliminated in a dramatic semi-final against United, pocketed over £1.5 million for their impressive run in the competition. So, while the bigger clubs may not be as financially impacted by the prize money, it can make a huge difference for the underdogs.
For those curious about how the prize money is distributed throughout the competition, here's a breakdown of the amounts for each round:
- Extra preliminary round winners: £1,125
- Extra preliminary round losers: £375
- Preliminary round winners: £1,444
- Preliminary round losers: £481
- First round qualifying winners: £2,250
- First round qualifying losers: £750
- Second round qualifying winners: £3,375
- Second round qualifying losers: £1,125
- Third round qualifying winners: £5,625
- Third round qualifying losers: £1,875
- Fourth round qualifying winners: £9,375
- Fourth round qualifying losers: £3,125
- First round proper winners: £41,000
- Second round proper winners: £67,000
- Third round proper winners: £105,000
- Fourth round proper winners: £120,000
- Fifth round proper winners: £225,000
- Quarter-final winners: £450,000
- Semi-final winners: £1,000,000
- Semi-final losers: £500,000
- Final runners-up: £1,000,000
- Final winners: £2,000,000
As we eagerly await the final match, it's clear that there's more than just a trophy on the line for both teams. The prize money is a significant incentive for them to give their all on the pitch and make this final a memorable one for fans and players alike.
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