Manchester City and Manchester United will meet at Wembley Stadium this afternoon in the FA Cup final.
United head into the game as the heavy underdogs after a disappointing second season for Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford. The Reds finished eighth in the Premier League and crashed out of the Champions League at the group stages.
However, they know that a victory over their fierce rivals will confirm a spot in the Europa League next season. City on the other hand have enjoyed another fruitful campaign and are chasing a double after securing the Premier League last weekend for a historic fourth consecutive win.
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Whichever side wins at Wembley this afternoon is set for a reasonable payday but it will not be as much as both teams received for their part in the Champions League. But, the prestige of the tournament in England has always outweighed the prize money.
FA Cup prize money explained
Both teams have earned £1.9m for the victories they have racked up since entering the competition at the third round stage. This money is split below:
- Third round – £105,000
- Fourth round – £120,000
- Fifth round – £225,000
- Quarter-final – £450,000
- Semi-final – £1m
Whichever team wins the FA Cup final will bank £2m taking their overall prize money to £3.9m. Meanwhile, the loser shall receive £1m taking their overall prize money to £2.9m.
But for United, winning the cup would be worth even more thanks to the prize of Europa League qualification. For the 2023/24 season, teams were handed around £3m just for competing in the competition’s group stage, plus over £500k per win.
This year’s winners Atalanta picked up a total of £18.8m in prize money from the competition, as well as a place in next year’s Champions League, opening up lucrative opportunities for the Red Devils should they beat their rivals at Wembley.
Routes to the final
Manchester City
- Third round – Huddersfield Town H, 5-0
- Fourth round – Tottenham Hotspur A, 1-0
- Fifth round – Luton Town A, 6-2
- Quarter-final – Newcastle United H, 2-0
- Semi-final – Chelsea N, 1-0
Manchester United
- Third round – Wigan Athletic A, 2-0
- Fourth round – Newport County A, 4-2
- Fifth round – Nottingham Forest A, 1-0
- Quarter-final – Liverpool H, 4-3 After Extra-Time
- Semi-final – Coventry City N, 3-3, 4-2 on Penalties
