What does winning the Champions League really mean for Arsenal?
- Katie Vince
- Jun 1
- 3 min read
On Saturday 24th May 2025, Arsenal Women made history once again. Despite the odds being against them, they secured a 1-0 win over Barcelona. It was Swedish striker Stina Blackstenius who scored the only goal of the game in the 73rd minute.
This game marked Arsenal Women’s first Champions League final appearance in 18 years, the last notably being when they beat Swedish side Umeå 1-0 to win the competition.
Prize money:
Let’s talk money.
UEFA has a tiered system, offering a £340,000 participation fee to each club. They’ll earn £42,500 for every group stage win and £14,450 for every group stage draw. Additionally, a team receives £17,000 for winning their group.
Earning a spot in the quarter-finals earns them £136,000, progressing to the semi-finals is £153,000, and then £170,000 for the two teams to reach the final. This is topped up by £297,500 for the team who take home the trophy!
Arsenal Women’s total earnings for the competition are as below:
£340,000 Participation fee
£42,500 Valerenga win (4-1)
£42,500 Juventus win (0-4)
£42,500 Juventus win (4-1)
£42,500 Valerenga win (1-3)
£42,500 Bayern Munich win (3-2)
£17,000 Group win
£136,000 Quarter-finals place
£153,000 Semi-finals place
£170,000 Final place
£297,500 Prize money
Total: £1.32 million (excluding matchday revenue)
Attendance Records:
Arsenal currently hold the top 4 highest attendances for Women’s Super League games, topping their existing record last season with an outstanding crowd of 60,160!
Despite this record-breaking crowd, Arsenal were yet to possess the trophies to reflect that. Their only accolades since winning the league in the 2018/19 season have been two league cup trophies.
So, if they can draw in the crowds without the trophies, what can they do as Champions of Europe? The 2025/26 season begins on the 6th of September and the opportunities are endless for the Gunners!
The Growth of the WSL & WSL 2:
After the Lionesses won the Euros in 2022, the domestic league was directly impacted by the achievement. With key players from the Lionesses including captain Leah Williamson, Ella Toone, and Chloe Kelly, playing for top names in the WSL, fans wanted to see them play more. Clubs experienced a surge in interest, with the aggregate revenue rising by 50% in the 2022/23 season.
Can we expect a similar story after this historic win? Chelsea have dominated the WSL, and beat Arsenal both times they played this season, but fell short to Barcelona, the team that Arsenal beat in the final.
As the standards of the teams increase, so too will the investment, and overall standard of the league itself. Other teams want to compete in Europe, and a start to that is playing the European Champions themselves! Arsenal are still the only English team to win the Champions League, and beating the current holders for it will just spur on the other clubs more.
More Silverware:
As the current Champions League holders, Arsenal immediately qualify for the league phase next season. The club will be pushing to hold onto this trophy, alongside some much needed domestic trophies. Renée Slegers now has the chance to cement her team’s place as not only the best in Europe, but the best in their league.
Chelsea have dominated the league, winning six titles in a row, but is this Arsenal’s chance to change that and secure their first WSL title since the 2018/19 season? All is to play for next season.
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