Manchester United miss out on cash injection Man City and Liverpool are guaranteed

Manchester United's failure to qualify for the Champions League or any UEFA competition was a major blow to Old Trafford chiefs

Manchester United lost out on Champions League qualification(Image: Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)

English clubs get their Champions League campaigns underway this week - but Manchester United are not one of the six teams represented.

United failed to qualify for any European football this season as they finished 15th in last season's Premier League standings. They almost managed to sneak into the Champions League, but lost a tight Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur and ended the term with disappointment.

Ruben Amorim and everybody associated with the club fully understood the consequences of missing out. It was a major blow to Old Trafford chiefs.

UEFA already dished out lucrative amounts for Champions League participants before they revamped the competition ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. Now there are more matches than ever, with the financial incentives on offer increasing even more.

Reports suggest that clubs earn £2m for each win they record in the league phase in 2025/26. With eight fixtures to play, that means a maximum £16m is on offer.

Alternatively, the prize money for a draw is set at £600,000, whereas there is no money on offer for a defeat. But there is a guaranteed set starting fee of over £16m awarded to every club who qualifies for the league phase, plus a share of the £740.6m 'value pillar' which includes payments based on TV fees and coefficient rankings.

Arsenal and Tottenham began their league phase campaigns on Tuesday night, beating Athletic Club and Villarreal respectively. That means they're both already off the mark with the cash to come at a later date.

Still to play this week are Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle United, who could follow suit and pocket themselves the prize money for a single win if they are able to beat Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, and Barcelona respectively.

It comes as United have released their financial results for the fourth quarter and full 2025 fiscal year, ended 30 June 2025. Old Trafford chiefs have announced record revenues of £666.5m despite having no Champions League football to benefit from.

They are still at an operating loss for the sixth season running, now totalled at £18.4m, although this has fallen from £69.3m in the fiscal year 2024.

Chief executive officer Omar Berrada commented: "As we settle into the 2025/26 season, we are working hard to improve the club in all areas.

"On the field, we are pleased with the additions we have made to our men’s and women’s first team squads over the summer, as we build for the long-term. Off the field, we are emerging from a period of structural and leadership change with a refreshed, streamlined organisation equipped to deliver on our sporting and commercial objectives.

"We are also investing to upgrade our infrastructure, including completion of the £50m redevelopment of our men’s first team building at Carrington, on time and on budget, following prior investment in our women’s team facilities, to create a world-class environment for our players and staff.

"Meanwhile, planning continues to meet our ambition of developing a new stadium at Old Trafford as part of a transformational regeneration of the surrounding community.

"To have generated record revenues during such a challenging year for the club demonstrates the resilience which is a hallmark of Manchester United.

"Our commercial business remains strong as we continue to deliver appealing products and experiences for our fans, and best-in-class value to our partners. As we start to feel the benefits of our cost-reduction programme, there is significant potential for improved financial performance, which will, in turn, support our overriding priority: success on the pitch."