The 2024-25 UEFA Conference League season is entering its climax, with the third-tier European competition in the quarterfinal stages.
It's the fourth season of the Conference League's existence. The tournament allows more modest teams across European leagues to compete for a continental trophy. Since its inception in 2021-22, three champions have been crowned: Roma, West Ham United and Olympiacos.
But outside of the desire to compete and win trophies, there are more benefits for teams that do well in the Conference League. Winning and proving you're the best team in the competition will always be at the heart of the tournament, but there are other incentives that make winning the Conference League even sweeter.
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What do Teams Get For Winning the UEFA Conference League?
The team that wins the 2024-25 UEFA Conference League final on Wroclaw, Poland will get a variety of rewards.
The first and most obvious one is a European competition trophy. Yes, The Conference League is far from being as prestigious as the Europa League —let alone the Champions League— but it's an avenue for modest teams to win a continental trophy they would otherwise never realistically have.
The second big reward is automatic qualification for next season's UEFA Europa League. Instead of defending their Conference League crown, the champions get the chance to ascend into the second-flight European competition.
But perhaps what's most valuable for clubs is the economic rewards that come with winning the Conference league. The champion will bag €7m ($7.8m, £6m) for winning the final, added to the economic incentives already triggered from advancing in each round of the tournament.
Premier League giants Chelsea are favorites to win the competition. The Blues have won every single game they've played since the start of the league phase, triggering a number of incentives on their way to the quarterfinals. If Chelsea go on to win the tournament, they could bag around £15m ($19.4m) in total earnings from the 2024-25 UEFA Conference League.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as What do Teams Get for Winning the UEFA Conference League?.
