How much money does the winner of the Leagues Cup 2023 get? How does it compare?

The Leagues Cup puts teams from the MLS in with those from Liga MX with money, progression and prestige on offer.

Calum RocheEnglish_ASUpdate: Aug 19th, 2023 01:29 EDT

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On Friday 21 July, the 2023 Leagues Cup got underway. On Saturday evening, we will know our winner. The new tournament had been announced several months before talk emerged of a Lionel Messi-shaped infusion into Miami and Major League Soccer. And what an immediate impact he has made.

You can watch the Leagues Cup final live online on Apple TV.

Messi effect raises Leagues Cup profile

And it was the Argentine megastar who got the Liga MX-MLS show off to the perfect start, stepping off the bench to make his debut for Inter Miami and holding back until the fourth added-on minute to strike home a stunning winner. It’s a free-kick that he makes look so easy, and his timing could not have been more spectacular. And he didn’t stop there, helping his team to the final and almost certainly walking away with the top scorer prize.

Stay tuned: all the news from the 2023 Leagues Cup

Messi Miami winner racks up more than 40M views on Twitter in less than 24 hourshttps://t.co/msPQXRewsH

— AS USA (@English_AS) July 22, 2023

So, with Messi doing his thing, as well as plenty of other story lines, interest has grown across the tournament with all eyes now on the final between Nashville and Inter Miami. But what incentives are there for the players and teams involved to give it their all?

Limited Leagues Cup budget

Clearly the players are professionals and so pride and legacy come with the territory. We’ve already witnessed from the early tournament games that not an inch is being given. Then there are the automatic qualification places for the Concacaf Champions Cup for the top three teams, creating a chance to represent the Confederation at the FIFA Club World Cup Unfortunately, however, the prize money for the competition is someway short of others.

Let’s take the Copa Libertadores, for example. Yes, the CONMEBOL tournament has been running for some time (1960 to be precise) but its current winner receives a hefty $18 million. here’s how that breaks down.

Financial prizes: Copa Libertadores

Champion – $18 millionRunner-up – $7 millionSemifinalists – $2.3 millionQuarterfinals – $1.7 millionRound of 16 – $1.25 millionGroup stage – $3 million

This year’s Leagues Cup victor, on the other hand, will be paid just two million dollars.

Financial prizes: Leagues Cup

Champion – $2 millionPrize per game – $100,000Prize for victory – $50,000

UEFA Champions League tops the lot